The Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme (PESP) is set to create jobs across the audiovisual sector
#TogetherForTheArts
30 October 2019, Johannesburg: Announced in April of this year by the President of the Republic, the Covid-19 economic stimulus plan has reached the Arts sector. The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) and the National Arts Council (NAC) are the two entities of the Department of Sports Arts and Culture, through which the Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme will be administered. Globally, the audiovisual sector was dealt a heavy blow by the Covid-19 pandemic as productions were halted, some indefinitely, and South Africa was not spared. In what can be best described as a “gig economy”, hundreds of freelancers and practitioners have been hard hit as work all but dried up, and continue to feel the effects of the nationwide lockdown imposed, to curb the spread of the Corona virus.
The Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme aims to assist practitioners and their projects as well as companies that incurred losses (actual and planned/existing, new and those that were at concept stage) during the COVID-19 lockdown period.
National Treasury has entrusted a total of R140 million to the NFVF and which will be administered, according to guidelines set, as follows:
- Objective 1: Creation of new employment opportunities: R100 million (stream 1-3);
- Objective 2: Retention of employment opportunities; R40 million (stream 4).
The funding will be administered according to 4 streams including;
- Stream 1: Production
- Stream 2: Skills Development
- Stream 3: Industry
- Stream 4: Business Recovery
Applicants need to register and complete the online application form using the following link: https://nfvf.praxisgms.co.za/
The closing date for submissions: 30 November 2020, 00h00
The NFVF CEO Makhosazana Khanyile commented that “We have engaged with the industry throughout the lockdown and have put our own measures in place to respond to the disruptions caused by the pandemic, albeit in a limited fashion based on budgets at our disposal. We are humbled to be entrusted by our shareholder, the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture to administer this programme, aimed at providing much-needed relief to our ailing industry. We trust that the industry we serve, will emerge once again, stronger and better as we navigate the road to recovery and the Presidential Stimulus Plan hopefully signals the commitment to bring the arts alive once again”. said NFVF CEO Makhosazana Khanyile
For more information visit www.nfvf.co.za, www.nac.org