Location Spotlight on Drakenstein

DIVERSE DRAKENSTEIN

The Drakenstein Municipality, situated in the Western Cape, is an up and coming film-friendly region with a variety of locations for producers to take advantage of.

Paarl Amphitheatre

Located within the Cape Winelands, Drakenstein Municipality is a little known film destination with much to offer the discerning producer. It has continued to grow its capabilities and offerings in the hopes of becoming a significant player in the international market. The region includes Paarl, Wellington, Gouda, Saron and Simondium, and locations include towering mountains, rolling valleys and rows upon rows of vineyards – not to mention a lovely mixture of architectural styles.

LOCATIONS OF NOTE

In addition to mountains, vineyards, valleys and lush green vistas, Drakenstein is home to the iconic Afrikaanse Taalmonument, the Paarl Mountain and its nature

reserve, and the renowned Paarl Rock. In fact, these locations are some of the most popular in the region. Hidden gems include Bains kloof Mountain Pass, Du Toits kloof Mountain Pass, Drakenstein

Drakenstein offers a variety of architectural looks.

Correctional Centre, and Paarl’s unmissable Main Street.

FILMS SHOT IN DRAKENSTEIN

In addition to its variety of locations, Drakenstein’s

public infrastructure stateof-the-art facilities and eminent municipal support come together to create an attractive, productionfriendly destination. During 2018/19, 10 film permits were granted for productions in the region, four of which were commercials or fashion shoots, and six of which were productions. In the past, large-scale productions like

TOP 5 LOCATIONS

Afrikaanse Taalmonument Paarl Mountain Nature Reserve Paarl and Wellington Town Halls Paarl Amphitheatre Paarl Rock

Vir Altyd, The Last Face and Of Kings and Prophets have shot in the region. More recently, Drakenstein has welcomed the likes of Dr Who, Origins and Motherland, as well as commercial shoots for the likes of Chevy, Daiken, Lipton, Nestle, Wrigleys and Outsurance.

It offers several great wine estates as locations.

SHOOTING ON LOCATION

As with any other Western Cape municipality, when shooting on location, it is important to apply for a film permit several weeks in advance. This can be done through the Drakenstein Municipality, whose role includes supporting the development of the film sector in the region, issuing permits, scouting for key municipal and iconic locations, location marketing and enabling policy and creating standards and regulations for film. The Wesgro Creative Locations guide offers comprehensive information on Drakenstein’s locations and contacts for

CLIMATE

Thanks to its proximity to the Western Cape’s coastline, Drakenstein enjoys a Mediterranean climate for the most part, with summer temperatures peaking at around 30-35 °C and winters reaching lows of 5-10 °C. Spring and Autumnal months like September and April are ideal for clear, temperate shoot days.

permit applications across a variety of sectors such as events, police, traffic and more. This guide can be found on www.wesgro.co.za, while more on Drakenstein can be found on www.drakenstein.gov.za.

USEFUL CONTACTS

Community Services: Fire Safety and Disaster Management

(Secretary: Events Committee) Lucy Hoyi Tel: +27 21 807 4641 Email: events@ drakenstein.gov.za

Community Services: Parks and Recreation:

Paarl Mountain Nature Reserve Calvin Petersen Tel: +27 (0)82 355 0461

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