Under Adjusted Level 4 Lockdown restrictions, cinemas are not allowed to operate and the industry is suffering irreparable damage that they might not be able to come back from should lockdown be extended.
Ster-Kinekor entered into business rescue earlier this year and are now pleading with government to allow them to reopen to the public to save their business.
According to a statement, Ster-Kinekor says the current lockdown will have a devastating impact on their business if they are not allowed to operate.
When lockdown eased to allow cinemas to operate again, over 1.3-million movie-goers visited theatres in South Africa. And just when the company noted an uptake in their entertainment services, the country was placed under a stricter lockdown again, costing them valuable customers and income.
Ster-Kinekor say they have been dealt a devastating blow and it does not bode well for thousands of people they employ. The company will now have no other choice but to cut more jobs.
The company has made advancements in the way they operate to be able to safely serve their customers. During hard lockdown they changed access control, upgraded ways to be able to socially distance patrons, they implemented strict screening and cleaning methods – and added no-touch points for purchase. All this was done to accommodate customers safely when they were allowed to reopen.
With all these improvements, the industry insists they are a safe indoor venue and have noted no infections traced back to any cinema globally.
Their fate now lies in government’s hands.
ALSO READ: Bucket List Adventure: Bourke’s Luck Potholes
