Anant Singh has produced South
Africa's most prevailing anti-apartheid films, including Sarafina!
(Whoopi Goldberg) and Place of Weeping from director Darrell
James Roodt. In an industry beset with obstacles for a black South
African during the apartheid years, Singh displayed amazing tenacity
by overcoming them and becoming South Africa's leading filmmaker.
Singh has also been involved in the production of various documentary films, including Countdown to Freedom, which documents the first free and fair election in South Africa and Prisoners Of Hope, a reunion on Robben Island of 1,250 of its former political prisoners led by President Mandela. In 1996, he produced a documentary detailing the South African visit of His Holiness, the Dalai Lama and recently completed is a series of documentaries on President Mandela and trusted advisor to President Mandela, Ahmed Kathrada.
During October 1996, Singh acquired two successful formerly state-owned South African radio stations, East Coast Radio and Radio Oranje. He is a director and substantial shareholder of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange listed Kagiso Media.
Singh has produced over 40 films in the last 14 years, the most notable of which is Cry, the Beloved Country which starts Academy Award nominees James Earl Jones and Richard Harris and is scored by five times Academy Award winner, John Barry.
Other films produced by Singh include The Road To Mecca (Kathy Bates), Captives (Julia Ormond, Tim Roth), The Mangler (directed by Tobe Hooper, based on a short story by Stephen King and starring Robert Englund) and Face (directed by Antonia Bird and starring Robert Carlyle, Ray Winstone and Steven Waddington).
Along with Bravo Two Zero, Singh has also recently co-produced The Theory of Flight starring Oscar Nominees Helena Bonham Carter and Kenneth Branagh.
On being granted the coveted film rights to Nelson Mandela's autobiography Long Walk to Freedom., President Mandela commented, "Anant Singh is a producer I respect very much, and when we were considering various offers, I personally opted for him. He is a man of tremendous ability and I think that given the resources and support, he can do absolutely excellently."
In April 1998, Singh was conferred with an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Port Elizabeth (South Africa) for his wide-ranging contributions to the South African film industry and for taking South African stories and talent to the world, his efforts to raise awareness of the injustices of apartheid - locally and abroad through the medium of film - and for his commitment to recording South Africa's history for generations to come.
With conviction, Singh has showcased internationally stories and talent and has earned himself recognition as a pioneer in the motion picture industry of South Africa.