On the sunny tip of the African continent there is a place where British ex-pats and production companies alike can share a pint of Castle, the local brew, while taking in the summer sun, and oh yeah, make some commercials together.

That place is Cape Town-based production service company The Farm. When on a shoot in South Africa, Skip Margetts, a former technician and John Lynch, a former DOP, realized there was room in the country's blossoming production marketplace for a service company focusing primarily on UK clients, so they set up shop. That was 1998.

"I think there was sort of a sausage mentality in South Africa: get the job in and out as soon as possible, make as much money as you could and it didn't really matter about the quality," recounts Margetts of his first experiences in the country. "That's why we originally set up down here, because we cared about what we were doing. Every client was an individual and every job, regardless of its size or budget, got treated the same."

And in a business ruled by relationships and trust, Margetts says the fact that The Farm is a Brit-to-Brit outfit hasn't hurt matters. "We knew how the British worked and had been in the industry together for a long time," he says, noting that their success lies in the fact that most of The Farm's clients are repeat.

Longtime Farm client Matthew Fone, head of production at London's Harry Nash concurs, stating that when a relationship is established with a service company, the bidding process becomes easier.

"If they know your directors and how they work, they can budget better for you," he says. "You won't be put in a position where you're caught with someone underbidding just to get the job, only to end up spending another £15,000 to £20,000."

As a location, South Africa offers a wide array of looks: deserts to European cities, to tropical locales, which are found in Durban, the country's answer to Miami.

Three of Harry Nash's recent projects, all from AMV.BBDO, reflect the versatility of South Africa. A spot for Regain, directed by Ringan Ledwidge, took a more classic approach to shooting in Cape Town. It was shot on a farm and a game park, and involved a recreated African village - lion and all. A project for Pizza Hut, directed by Andy Morahan, had Cape Town stand in for the UK, and Harry Nash took Lukas Hammar to Durban, which Fone describes as Bali-esque, to shoot a tropical spot for St. Ivel's yogurt.

Other recent projects serviced by The Farm include Mars for thefinktank, directed by Graham Fink, for the American market, and a spot for Walker's chips featuring Helena Christianson, directed by Paul Weiland.

Business generally runs seasonally for The Farm, peaking from September to June. The southern hemisphere summer is attractive to European production companies looking to escape their winter doldrums. The Farm keeps two staff producers busy, with a third on call, has 20 permanent employees and brings in producers from the UK on a seasonal basis.

The warp-speed growth of the South African production community has benefited businesses like Margetts' who boasts, "The crew are world standard. They've got all the toys. Everything you can get in the US you can get here."

The opposing seasons also results in an influx of foreign talent. "A lot of models come down for our summer because the turnover of work is just so huge," says Margetts, noting during Nash's recent Pizza Hut shoot, which required a lot of extras, they almost ran out of talent. Beyond weather, cost considerations are what really make South Africa a producer's dream.

"This year is actually much cheaper than last because the Rand has plummeted against any other known currency in the world, I think, apart from Argentina," says Margetts. "A first assistant camera costs R1,100, the equivalent of £68, 75p. In England, a first AC will cost you anywhere between £200-£250 a day." Similarly, on a project he recently bid with Lowe, talent savings would amount to around £30,000 if shot in South Africa.

However, Fone points out that any sudden fluctuation in the currency can have a profound effect. To wit, the Rand jumped from R12/£ when the Regain project was shot to R17/£ when it came time to shoot Pizza Hut. It is currently settled around R15/£.

"The Rand moving from R12-R16 on a budget could mean about £35,000," says Fone. As a result, he says that Harry Nash either writes a specified exchange rate into its budgets so that any fluctuation is absorbed by the agency, or requests 75 per cent payment up front to facilitate forward-buying of currency.

As for Margetts, business is bustling. The Farm shot for 18 days in January, as opposed to its average six per month, and he notes that the week of Feb. 11 is the busiest ever in Cape Town. He adds, "When your rental house sends you two chocolate cakes, you know you're busy."