Archival Research
Southern African archival research for documentary production companies — anywhere in the world. We're boots on the ground in Cape Town, with over 14 years of archival research experience and physical access to collections.
14+
Years of archival research experience working with Southern African collections
Cape Town
Based in South Africa — physical access to archives that remote researchers can only request remotely
SA Rates
Getty archival content at South African pricing — significantly less than international direct rates
We're based in Cape Town. That means we can physically walk into archives, review uncatalogued collections, speak to archivists directly, and find material that simply doesn't appear in any online database. Remote researchers are limited to what's been digitised. We're not.
Over 14 years of experience researching Southern African archival collections. We know which archives hold what, how to request it, and how to navigate the clearance process efficiently — saving your production weeks of back-and-forth and the cost of getting it wrong.
As Gallo Images' partner — Getty's South African representative — we can license Getty archival content at South African rates with worldwide broadcast rights. International productions going direct to Getty pay significantly more for the same material. That difference goes straight back into your budget.
Tell us the story you're telling, the time period, the subjects, and the tone. The more context you share, the more precisely we can search. We're used to working from early-stage treatments as much as locked scripts.
We go into the collections — physically where needed, digitally where available. You get curated screeners with timecodes and source notes, not a raw data dump. We tell you what we found and what we couldn't find.
Once you've selected, we handle rights clearance, territory agreements, and broadcast licensing. Full documentation supplied — E&O ready where required.
High-resolution files delivered to your spec. Records kept on file. If anything needs revisiting during post or for a future series, we're still here.
SABC Archive, Mayibuye Centre at the University of the Western Cape, and a range of specialist South African collections including independent documentary archives and news footage libraries. We also access international collections including ITN Archive, BBC Motion Gallery, Reuters, NBC News Archives, BFI and Prelinger Archives.
We're physically in Cape Town. That means we can walk into archives, review uncatalogued collections, speak directly to archivists and find material that doesn't exist in any online database. Remote researchers — wherever they're based — are limited to what's been digitised. We're not. For any production needing Southern African material, that physical presence changes what's findable.
Yes — including major broadcaster requirements worldwide. We supply full clearance documentation and can provide E&O-ready paperwork where required by your distributor or broadcaster.
Research fees and licensing costs are scoped per project. Get in touch with your brief and we'll come back with a clear breakdown before any work begins.
14+ years.
On the ground.
Archive research is only as good as the access behind it. We're based in Cape Town — which means we can walk into collections that no remote researcher can reach.