Who owns the infrastructure, and who owns what it produces? That was the central question for African film and television as industry figures debated AI at FAME Week Africa 2026 in Cape Town.
Panellists were asked whether AI is a tool, a threat or a competitive advantage. Most said it could be all three — and that the answer depends on who is using it, why, and with how much money.
“The key question is, who owns the infrastructure, and who owns the outputs thereof at the end of the day?” said Farhad Omar, founder and director of AIX Africa and Media Valley.
Intent and position
David Max Brown, senior postgraduate lecturer in film production at AFDA Cape Town, said the impact depends on intent. “It depends if you want to innovate or replicate and where your intention really lies and what part of the film value chain you are entering.”
Vanessa van Coppenhagen Lee, partner and co-head at intellectual property firm Spoor & Fisher, agreed it could be any of the three “depending on how it’s being used.”
For Zukisani Mabece, managing director of Digicine Motion Picture, the deciding factor is money. “If you have access to money, it’s a tool, and if you don’t have large budgets, it’s a very big competitive advantage,” he said.
That points to an uneven picture: AI may let smaller companies and independent creators do more with less, but questions of ownership and accountability remain unresolved.
Not one tool, but many
Jacques Barreau, vice-president of TransPerfect Media, objected to treating AI as a single thing. “AI is not a tool. For me, AI is a toolbox,” he said. “AI in general does not mean too much. It’s a suite of tools that are very specific.”
The discussion moved beyond image generation to intellectual property, production budgets and studio workflows.
FAME Week Africa ran at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from 28 October to 1 November under the theme “The Year of the Creator,” bringing together professionals across film, television, music and fashion.
