South Africa: Wish you were here?

Exotic locations, good weather and top crews: South Africa has the lot, Jane Bainbridge says.

When South Africa's first democratic elections took place in 1994, it allowed the world - and particularly the advertising and film industries - to discover the country's diverse range of locations that had until then remained largely a secret.

Since 1994, the country has become a darling of the ad world, thanks largely to the landscape, but also because of its accessibility, good value and cultural familiarity for Brits shooting there. Even simple things, such as driving on the same side of the road, help to make it a popular shooting location for British creatives.

Cape Town remains the location of choice thanks to its climate and the variety of looks on offer. When Britain is blanketed in winter gloom, Cape Town enjoys dry, sunny weather, ensuring minimal disruption due to poor conditions. And it's not just the exotic scenery that agencies head south for. The country can also offer very British- and European-looking locations, boosting its appeal considerably.

Ashley Bacon, the group executive creative director at FCB Johannesburg, says: 'Cape Town is used the most: it has a very Mediterranean feel where you can maximise Northern Hemisphere light conditions. You can approximate almost anything there. You can get two to three looks in as many days, from Mediterranean to mountaintop to desert. The Klein Karoo, which is semi-desert, is a 90-minute drive away from Cape Town.'

Barry Munchick, the proprietor of the South African production house Velocity Films, thinks another reason Cape Town is so popular is because of its 'good vibe', with top hotels, restaurants and a well-established cafe society to keep teams happy.

While Johannesburg plays second fiddle to Cape Town in terms of shoots, the city can offer a wider array of urban landscapes and is only an hour's drive from the game farms.