“What will a video cost?” gets the same answer from every production company: it depends. That’s true, and it isn’t much use when you need a number for a budget meeting next week.
I’ve spent more than thirty years in video production, and most of the price comes down to a handful of decisions you can make before anyone picks up a camera. Here are ballpark figures for South Africa in 2026, what moves them, and how to brief a supplier so the quote you get back is one you can hold them to.
The ballpark
These are typical ranges for a single finished film, excluding VAT, for a production planned and finished by a small, experienced team.
Per finished film, excluding VAT
| What you’re getting | Typical range | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Training video, as part of a series | R10,000 to R35,000 each | Short films showing a task the way it is really done, shot in batches so the cost per film comes down. |
| Animated explainer | R25,000 to R80,000 | A process, a system or an idea a camera can’t show, with a script, voice-over and motion graphics. |
| Interview or talking-head film | R30,000 to R70,000 | One shoot day, one or two locations, a few voices, cut into a clear two-minute story. |
| Scripted brand or corporate film | R80,000 to R250,000 and up | A concept and script, a crew, several locations and cast, with versions for every channel. |
The same two minutes of film can be a day’s work or a month’s. The price follows the work, not the running time.
What actually drives the price
1. Shoot days
This is the biggest single factor. A shoot day means a crew, equipment, travel and the footage that someone then has to edit. A film planned to shoot in one well-organised day costs a fraction of one that needs three. Most of that saving is won in the script and the schedule, before anyone arrives on set.
2. Crew and cast
A director and one camera operator can shoot a good interview. A brand film with movement, lighting and actors needs more hands. Ask why each person on a quote is there. A tighter crew and a well-planned day often do the job for less.
3. Locations and travel
Filming at your own offices, stores or sites is usually free. Hired locations, permits and travel aren’t. If your supplier is based elsewhere, travel should be part of the quote, agreed up front, not a surprise on the invoice.
4. Animation, graphics and AI-assisted footage
Animation can replace a shoot entirely for things that are hard to film: a process, a system, a product inside a machine. AI-assisted footage is now useful for some scenes too. Neither is automatically cheaper. A polished minute of custom animation can cost as much as a shoot day, so choose them for what they show, not to save money.
5. Versions
A film for the website, square and vertical cuts for social, a short version for presentations and a subtitled one for training are all different deliverables. Planned from the script, one production covers them all for a modest extra cost. Asked for afterwards, each one is closer to new work.
6. Review rounds
Every round of feedback from marketing, legal, the regions and head office adds editing time. Agree up front who reviews, how many rounds there are and who signs off.
Costs people forget
- Music. Licensed music is cheap. Commercial tracks you know from the radio aren’t, and often aren’t available at all.
- Voice-over and subtitles. A professional voice is a modest line item. Each extra language is another voice and another edit.
- Your own people’s time. Staff on camera, a manager who knows the process, someone to open the building on a Saturday. It doesn’t appear on the invoice, but it’s part of the cost.
- Updates. Training films go out of date when the process changes. Ask what it costs to re-shoot or re-edit one section later.
How to get a quote you can trust
A production company can only quote accurately from a clear brief. Before you ask anyone for a price, have answers to these:
- What should someone know, feel or do after watching?
- Who will watch it, and where: the website, LinkedIn, a conference screen, an LMS, a phone in a store?
- Roughly how long should it be, and how many versions do you need?
- Will it be shot, animated, or a mix?
- Where would it be filmed, and who would appear in it?
- When does it need to be finished, and what’s driving that date?
- Who reviews it, and who has the final say?
Send the same brief to everyone you’re considering, and you’ll be comparing like with like.
If you’d like a second opinion on a brief, or a ballpark before you go to budget, book a call. We plan by video call and travel for shoots, including to Johannesburg. We’ll give you a straight answer on what your film is likely to cost. If it’s a training film, our guide to what custom eLearning costs covers how video fits into a course.
Tracy HagermanFounder, Visual Communications Director, JuneDay · About us
Video production at JuneDay