Why cinemas can’t keep the lights on (spoiler: it’s not load shedding)

Lester Kiewit speaks with Thinus Ferreira, independent South African TV critic, writer and journalist

Listen to the interview in the audio below.

Ster-Kinekor is closing nine of its cinema complexes and expects to let go of a third of its workforce, around 236 employees.

This is due to a massive decrease in attendance as South Africans rarely visit the cinema.

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This lack of interest is also affecting Nu Metro and independent theatres, which can't compete with streaming services.

Watching TV has also become more convenient, with 65-inch flat screens and surround-sound being common in many households.

This means it can be better, and more affordable, to recreate the movie experience at home, instead of paying exorbitant cinema prices.

“You don’t have people throwing popcorn at you, and you can sit and watch a movie in HD in your underwear.”

- Thinus Ferreira, independent TV critic

According to Ferreira, more funding is going to TV projects than to films, which means the quality of what you watch at home is better.

Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview.