Watch the Generations actors' press conference

Written by TVSA Team from the blog News on 26 Aug 2014
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As we've reported, the 16 fired Generations actors held a press conference in Johannesburg today (26 August) to speak about their grievances.

eNCA streamed the press conference live on their website and they've released a video of it which captures the full shebang of what happened and who said what.

The actual conference only starts at 1: 17: 00 into the video because of the streaming so you'll need to jump ahead to this time to get to the start:

Shows in this post: Generations

Channels in this post: eNCA

15 Comments

TVSA Team
26 Aug 2014 23:53

An update: the actors released this statement after the press conference ...

"Generations Actors Guild Speak Out

The Generations Actors Guild (GAG), now in the second week of withholding their services from SABC1 soap opera, Generations, convened a press briefing today to address the media about the reasons behind the stay-away.

This was against the background of misinformation being communicated to the press, particularly around issues of the actor’s remuneration and a misrepresentation of their demands to the production house and the broadcaster. GAG also wanted to use the opportunity to contextualize certain peculiarities about the creative economy, particularly the TV industry – where issues such as rates, profit share and syndication fees were concerned.

Actors around the world, and South Africa operate in a context where, much like professional sportspeople, their careers have a limited life span. The pay structures of said careers, therefore, are scaled differently in order to ensure sustainability of an actor’s career. This is especially true when an actor is strongly associated with a particular TV show or character, making them less marketable for other projects. Some of the devices employed are:

   - Syndication fees paid to actors whenever the programme is broadcast overseas, or residual fees whenever the programme is repeated.
   - A fee whenever a brand pays the broadcaster to integrate their product into the storyline, in such a way that it is endorsed by the actors.
- A share in the bonus that the broadcaster pays the production house when the TV series has performed exceptionally well.

Despite the fact that this is international best-practice, (and factored into their contracts) Generations actors do not receive these fees – fees that make the difference between ensuring an actors revenue stream for life, or condemning them to an existence where, despite being associated with an extremely profitable and successful project, once they leave the show, it’s ‘lights out’ - they do not receive the fees that they are contractually entitled to, and their income is abruptly cut off.

“There is a worrying reluctance to share real information of how many countries, and for how much money, the show has been sold to over the two decades of it’s existence” comment GAG. “This is a real issue, as within those sales, are our syndication fees – and we have never received them.

If all actors in our country were paid repeat and syndication fees that they’re contractually entitled to, the lives of most of our most gifted talent would look very different. We wouldn’t have these troubling reports of some of South Africa’s most loved actors dying in poverty and obscurity, despite the fact that their series are on daily repeat or being broadcast in markets overseas.

We need to address this issue with urgency, and MMSV and the SABC have been unwilling to come to the party and open the books to show us the money trail.”

Where the issues of their rates & salaries were concerned, GAG explained that they are subjected to particularly high taxes, since they are employed as freelancers. The realities of their pay-packets, therefore, are markedly different from what has been communicated in the media – the average salaries on the set are actually R30,000 per month, not the sum of R55,000 communicated to the media.

Critically, GAG wanted to provide detail about how their fees are broken down, using the fictitious R55,000 as a case study, to demonstrate that even a salary that looks quite generous when communicated, is in reality much more modest when real costs are factored in – as follows:

    - R55,000 hypothetical gross salary - (no benefits.)
   - 25% freelancers tax is R13,759, which leaves R41,241.0 - subtract the 15% agents fee of R 6186.
   - That leaves R35, 054, 85 - as the REAL take-home salary.
   - Factor in medical aid, (without the benefit of employers contribution) at R3000 per person, for the individual and 2 of their children – R12,000 (for 3 people)
   - This leaves 23, 054.88 – subtract 4,000 for life insurance, provident fund/retirement annuity
   - This leaves R19, 054.88 for living expenses - rent/bond, school fees, living expenses, vehicle, etc.

If the amounts communicated above were for a professional who can anticipate a working life-span of some 30+ years, there is a reasonable expectation that it is a manageable sum, even as it is subject to heavy taxes and fees. However, the realities of an actors abbreviated career life-span (average 10 years), are concerned, then it becomes clear that this is not a sustainable fee to ensure that an individual is able to effectively maximize their monthly pay package for a lifetime, in a way that a professional in another sector would be able to.

Generations is South Africa’s, indeed, Africa’s most successful TV programme – but that success has not filtered down to its key players – the cast. A cursory investigation of how some of the show’s most prominent previous cast members are living today will confirm this fact – and GAG believes that this discrepancy needs to be addressed with urgency.

The creative industry in South Africa is operates in an unregulated environment – there are no mandated minimum fees, which makes actors extremely exceptionally vulnerable to exploitation and to victimization. The employers set the terms, based on nothing but their own perception of what they should be paying – essentially, their whim.

In a country that has managed to set down minimum fees for some industries where exploitation is rife, such as domestic work, it is clear that an intervention is needed in the creative sector. The members of GAG are at pains to point out that their withholding of services is not the first time this has happened – other actors have spoken out, individually, and been blacklisted and sidelined for it. The action that GAG has embarked on, however, is the first time it has happened on such a large scale, and for comparatively speaking, such a long time.

“We operate in an environment where there are essentially only 3 major players in the TV industry who offer employment opportunities for actors – the SABC, e.tv and M-Net. We notice that there have been calls for us to ‘just leave and get another job’, but it’s not as simple as that when there are so few options.

"It made more sense for us to deal with the situation we were in, as opposed to choosing to walk away. More importantly, however, is that there are some fundamental wrongs that have become common practice in the TV industry that we felt it was our duty to begin to correct.

"So, instead of retreating and looking for other jobs, we chose to improve the conditions that we operate in, for ALL South African actors. To us, this is not a struggle for the 16 people involved – it is an industry-wide battle, and we’re fighting for a wholesale transformation of how the industry is structured and run.” explain the members of GAG.

On Monday, 25th August, the Minister of Arts & Culture held a meeting with the members of GAG and the SABC to explore options of how the current impasse could be resolved. The outcome of the meeting was that the SABC requested a meeting with the actors to begin to iron out their grievances, and look to how the situation could be worked out. The members of GAG have accepted the invitation, and remain resolute in their goals to effect a wholesale normalization of the industry.

Issued on behalf of the Generations Actors Guild by Dreamcatcher."

bonginkosimdodase@gmail.com
27 Aug 2014 06:39

Wow it's hectic.I don't know what to say.actual I'm speechless.

Ingenuity
27 Aug 2014 09:12

They call themselves Generations Actors Guild and they say that they represent all the actors!? Hmmmm!?

BbE-asaH
27 Aug 2014 11:33

I feel s0rry 4 them :( but i just cnt wait 4 casting new act0rs! :)

Nunumsi
27 Aug 2014 13:27

VIVA Generations Actors Guild VIVA.

Tjo this conference really exposed Mfundi & company and the hardships these actors go through everyday.

Menzi & little Mpilo's story is really touching.

Nunumsi
27 Aug 2014 13:29

@BbE-asaH didn't you hear there won't be a new cast they will blog the doors. No writer, no producer, no cleaner will be able to go in.

Creeper
28 Aug 2014 04:41

R55k, R35k, R19k its all a lot of money. Maybe the actors shouldn't be going for such expensive medical aid and life insurance. (Ever heard of: live within your means?). Lots of people live on a fraction of what GAGers are earning. They knew how much they'll be earning when they signed their contracts so to complain now is moot. The only valid grievance they have is the syndication fees qha. If they feel the salary is low they shouldn't have signed up or maybe its time for a lifestyle change. All these factors they're complaining about have always been there, they were well aware of them but they still agreed to earn R35k/R55k/R19k... Anyway they did us a favour Gene needs fresh blood all those characters are boring and/annoying.

Creeper
28 Aug 2014 04:46

While you're at it, how's about a fresh team of writers too? Pleeeeeeaaaaase SABC...

laleli
28 Aug 2014 08:33

R55 000 is a lot of money , is their option to opt to expensive medical aid and life covers
they have lot of experience it will be easier for them to get another job and give other people opportunity to prove themselve

qaqamba
28 Aug 2014 09:33

guys my salary is way low low low , but i have a medical ai,how come they earn R55.000 not to have medical aid??????and my company is not subsidizing anything i pay it through my salary, or is it just because they are in Jhb? not in Cpt, ???? everyrthing in Cpt is very slow and here there is not competition,thts the advantage the disadvantage abt Cp, salary is very low tht Jhb, how come they can afford to have medical aid???????

qaqamba
28 Aug 2014 09:49

Yes Nunu , Menzi's story made me cry last nite,

Creeper
28 Aug 2014 13:18

@Qaqamba they must have heard Gene is the most popular SA show and got delusions of grandeur. R55k is waaaay too much money that's over half-million per year. Somewhat needs to school them even American TV stars don't get Hollywood salaries. They say Gene makes millions but then do they know that to make Gene takes millions??? And they can not blame SABC and Mfundi for actors who die poor. TIP: If you don't know how to handle finaces - get a financial adviser!

Creeper
28 Aug 2014 13:22

These people can't even count medical aid for 3 people at R3k is R9k not R12k. Maybe that's the real problem here: lack of maths skills...

laleli
28 Aug 2014 13:29

they earn R15 000 a week that's what average middle class people earn per month and with that little we manage to pay for our medical aid ,bonds ,pension fund ,education and cars

they are gready if they want more they must just move out of generations maybe some of us will be given opportunity

qaqamba
28 Aug 2014 14:12

Hayi guys i thought yimina one problem this 55K its more thn enough, maybe they want fleshy cars and nice places , my medical aiid is 4k for 4 members i can go to any hospital,savings is also incuded and i am happy with it, where didi they ger a medical aid for 30k?????? hayi bo,, Sodlaka yena i couldnt understand why is she crying for Ngamls or for herself?????

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