Planning to bring your next production to Kenya? Here’s what you need to know before you arrive.

Kenya offers filmmakers an extraordinary range of locations, from Nairobi’s urban landscape to the coast, highlands, deserts and wildlife conservancies. Combined with experienced local crews and a growing creative industry, it makes Kenya an exciting base for commercials, documentaries, television, branded content and film productions.

But a successful shoot is about more than finding the perfect location.

Before cameras roll, there are permits, crew, equipment, locations, travel, logistics and local regulations to navigate. Having an experienced Kenyan production partner can make the difference between a complicated shoot and a smooth one.

Film permits

Productions filming in Kenya generally require the appropriate film permissions, depending on the nature and location of the shoot.

Your production information may include the project synopsis, proposed dates, locations, equipment requirements, crew details and production information.

Additional permissions may also be required when filming in particular environments, including public spaces and protected wildlife areas.

Bringing an international crew

If you are bringing cast or crew into Kenya, immigration and work requirements should be considered well in advance.

The appropriate documentation can depend on the nature and duration of the work, so productions should allow sufficient time for applications and approvals before travel.

A local production partner can help coordinate the process and ensure that the required documentation is prepared correctly.

Filming with drones

Kenya has incredible landscapes that naturally lend themselves to aerial cinematography.

However, drone operations are regulated, and productions should work with appropriately licensed and authorised drone operators and secure the permissions required for their specific shoot.

This is particularly important when filming around airports, cities, national parks and other controlled or sensitive areas.

Bringing equipment into Kenya

International productions bringing cameras, lighting, sound equipment or other production gear should plan their equipment clearance before arrival.

A detailed equipment manifest, including quantities, serial numbers and values, is typically required for customs processes.

Working with a local production company and experienced customs/logistics partners can help avoid unnecessary delays when equipment arrives in the country.

Locations and local logistics

Kenya can offer a remarkable variety of production environments within one country.

Urban Nairobi can double as a contemporary African city. The coast offers a completely different visual world. The Rift Valley, northern Kenya, forests, farms, conservancies and expansive landscapes provide even more possibilities.

The challenge is not simply finding a beautiful location.

It is finding the right location for the story, understanding access, permissions, travel time, accommodation, crew movement and the practical realities of filming there.

That is where local knowledge becomes invaluable.

Why work with a Kenyan production partner?

Every production has moving parts.

A location changes. A permit takes longer than expected. Equipment needs to be sourced locally. The schedule shifts. A client adds a new requirement.

Having someone on the ground who understands the production environment means you have a team that can respond quickly and find solutions.

At Real Strike Studios, we support productions coming into Kenya with local production coordination, crew sourcing, casting, locations, logistics, permits and on-the-ground production management.

Our own experience spans scripted and unscripted television, reality, documentary and commercial production, giving us an understanding of both the creative ambition and the practical demands of production.

Whether you are planning a one-day commercial shoot or a larger film or television production, our goal is simple:

You bring the story. We help you make it happen in Kenya.

Planning a production in Kenya? Talk to us!