Joburg-based production company Cake have announced that they are opening another production office in London. Founders, Executive Producer Cat Lindsay and Director Nadezna Radcore say the new Cake shop will be servicing their growing number of international clients, but that their local clients need not panic. Both Nadezna and Cat will be travelling between South Africa and the UK regularly to ensure that all local shoots are business as usual.

According to Cat Lindsay, the launch of the Cake shop in the UK is a natural progression for the production company, adding: ‘Over the past year we have had a growing number of international clients, with Nadezna especially directing more and more work for the European market. We knew it was time to create a second base for the Cake team. This will in no way affect the volume of work we direct, supervise or produce locally or jeopardise our hands-on approach and attention to detail on local projects. In fact, we will be bolstering our Joburg office by adding another full-time heavyweight producer to the team and our local partners can be assured that nothing will change in the way they work with us or how we interact with our suppliers, clients and agencies.’

Top: Director Nadezna Radcore on set for Vogue. L to R: Nadezna and EP Cat Lindsay on set for Sensilube and Ponds, Vossie at Gorongosa National Park for NatGeo Beekeeping Xchange shoot.

When the team at Cake launched just over a year ago, they could not have predicted the overwhelming reaction and what they would achieve in such a short time. Their talent offering has doubled with directors Hloni Coleman and Johann ‘Vossie’ Vorster joining Rob Malpage and Nadezna on the roster. The Cake directors hit the ground running in terms of commercials and content and have all shot with not only top local agencies and brands, but also a lot of international ones. To mention a few; Apple (Hloni), National Geographic (Vossie), KY and Vogue (Nadezna) and Beiersdorf (Rob). Here are some of our favourite spots from the past year.

When we found out that over 30% of Nadezna’s directing work has been with international brands we wondered, why are people so keen to work with SA teams. Nadezna says: ‘It’s an industry given that South Africans generally work harder, are really motivated and exceptionally creative. It’s also not a secret that people shoot here because their money goes further with us, there is more attention to detail on their projects and they are blown away by the production quality. South Africans are also just great people. Cat adds: ‘Whenever we work with European or American clients we are always met with “Oh wow you’re South African so we know we’re sorted.” And it’s true.’

‘How we meet with our clients whilst travelling between the two offices isn’t going to change much compared to how it has been working since we opened our doors. Even though we have always physically been on set for shoot days, since we launched in February 2021, we have not had one single in-person meeting with clients or agencies. That might sound bizarre but to put things in to even more perspective our preferred colourist lives in Cape Town and we haven’t sat in the same room as him for 8 years, and our preferred online artist lives in Geneva. So, I guess, in many ways we are very prepared.’ Says Cat Lindsay.

And what better way to celebrate a great year than with more Cake, in London baby! Congrats team and congrats to SA; one of us fly, we all fly. Wanna (s)talk some more? Cake on IDIDTHAT and Company Website.

Frame grabs from recent work directed by Cake’s talented creatives. Top: Nurofen, Dazed, Vogue (Directed by Nadezna). Bottom: Datcha (Directed by Hloni Coleman), Coppertone (Directed by Rob Malpage, NatGeo (Directed by Vossie)