The KZNFC derives its mandate from the KZN Film Act No. 3 of 2010, which established the KZNFC and has as part of its objectives:

• To promote and market the province as a global destination for film production
• To develop, promote and market, locally and internationally, the film industry in the province
• To facilitate investment in the film industry in the province
• To provide and encourage the provision of opportunities for persons, especially from disadvantaged communities, to enter and participate in the film industry in the province
• To address historical imbalances in the infrastructure and in the distribution of skills and resources in the film industry in the province
• To contribute to an enabling environment for job creation in the film industry in the province

In interpreting its mandate, the team at the commission set about determining objectives that align with the mandate of the act these include:

• To promote and market KwaZulu-Natal as a choice film destination
• To secure strategic investment through facilitation and promotion of film projects into the film industry in KwaZulu-Natal;
• To implement interventions that drive transformation, diversification and service excellence in the film industry
• To create opportunities in film production and distribution for Previously Disadvantaged Individuals taking into account South Africa’s historical past
• To develop in-house capabilities and skills in order to provide world class quality service to clients

Emanating from these objectives, programmes were developed to ensure their implementation and, in turn, the mandate set by the KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission Act. The programmes that the film commission will embark upon will be:

• An intervention in the area of skills development, which will include an Internship Programme for film school graduates, both within the institution and the industry in the province as a whole. The skills development programme will also have a Women and Youth incubation programme. This will be to encourage women entrants into the industry and create an environment where skills and expertise in the industry can be nurtured. The youth incubation programme will have the same aim as that of the women’s programme and will provide an entry mechanism for young filmmakers into the industry. A final intervention in the area of skills development is a Bursary Programme for students to study film and begin to develop a career in the film industry.
• A Small Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMME) development programme, through the incubation of emerging film companies. This programme will nurture and strengthen SMME companies, with the aim of transforming them into film companies that will create jobs and contribute towards the growth of the economy.
• Familiarisation tours that will bring film producers and film companies from around the country and the world to inspect the provinces locations and facilities and to promote the province as a location for film.