A women-owned empowerment consortium with ties to South Africa's ruling Patriotic Alliance (PA) has acquired Ticketpro, a leading ticketing company in the country. The consortium, which includes Astrid Harrison and Omphemetse Mokgosi, both linked to PA leader Gayton McKenzie, acquired Ticketpro from JSE-listed telecommunications group Blu Label in May. The acquisition has raised concerns about potential political influence in South Africa's lucrative sports and culture economy.
The new owners of Ticketpro have strong connections to McKenzie, who serves as the Sport, Arts and Culture Minister. Bakang Lethoko, McKenzie's former chief of staff, took over as Ticketpro's new CEO in June. Mokgosi was appointed by McKenzie to the boards of the National Film and Video Foundation and the National Arts Council. Harrison has described herself as a "proud, disciplined member" of the PA on social media.
Ticketpro is the official ticketing vendor for Cricket South Africa (CSA) and the South African Football Association (Safa). The company is expected to sell tickets for the Proteas' current and upcoming home fixtures in the 2026/2027 summer season, as well as the 2027 Men's Cricket World Cup, which will be co-hosted by South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. The World Cup is expected to earn CSA in excess of R100-million in ticket sales.
McKenzie has strongly rejected any suggestion that he might influence commercial decisions that benefit Ticketpro. He stated that he is limited from exercising direct procurement decisions and that Ticketpro would have to follow standard procurement rules. However, industry insiders have expressed concerns about the potential for political influence in the acquisition and Ticketpro's commercial arrangements with sports bodies.
The 2027 Men's Cricket World Cup is expected to be a major event for CSA, with the potential to earn significant revenue from ticket sales. The tournament will feature matches in South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe, and is expected to attract large crowds. Ticketpro's earnings from cricket tickets alone will likely be relatively modest, but the company's tie-up with CSA could secure millions of rands in revenue for the nascent empowerment group that now owns Ticketpro.
According to a source familiar with Ticketpro's finances, the company has a turnover of about R100-million a year. This would include revenues generated from ticket sales for various events, including sports matches and concerts. The acquisition of Ticketpro by the PA-linked consortium has raised questions about the potential for increased revenue for the company and its new owners.
The local organising committee for the 2027 World Cup has announced that an announcement on ticketing will be made in the coming weeks. However, events from last week suggest that Ticketpro has probably clinched the deal to sell tickets for the tournament. The International Cricket Council unveiled a website for a ticket ballot that enables fans to register for tickets, with links to Ticketpro pages.
Key points
- A women-owned empowerment consortium linked to South Africa's Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie has acquired Ticketpro, the official ticketing vendor for Cricket South Africa and the South African Football Association.
- The acquisition has raised concerns about potential political influence in South Africa's lucrative sports and culture economy.
- Ticketpro is expected to sell tickets for the 2027 Men's Cricket World Cup, which could earn significant revenue for the company and its new owners.
