Ticketpro Deal: McKenzie’s Ex-Aide Runs Cricket Ticket Firm
SOUTH AFRICA · BUSINESS
Key Facts
- —The country South Africa co-hosts the 2027 Men’s Cricket World Cup with Zimbabwe and Namibia: 57 matches across 12 venues, eight of them in South Africa.
- —What happened In the Ticketpro deal, a women-owned empowerment consortium bought Cricket South Africa’s official ticket seller from Blu Label in May 2026.
- —The McKenzie link Sport Minister Gayton McKenzie’s former chief of staff became Ticketpro’s chief executive in June; two new shareholders have ties to his party.
- —The 4% cut Ticketpro would earn about 4% of general-access World Cup ticket sales, roughly R4.1 million (US$246,000), Daily Maverick reported.
- —The catch Daily Maverick found no evidence that McKenzie intervened, and he, his party and the new owners deny any impropriety.
- —What comes next The free ticket ballot closes on 21 November 2026, and the tournament runs from 2 October to 21 November 2027.
After South Africa’s Ticketpro deal, a former aide to Sport Minister Gayton McKenzie now runs Cricket South Africa’s ticket seller. Two of the company’s new shareholders also have ties to his Patriotic Alliance party.
On Monday 5 October 2026, South African news site Daily Maverick said Ticketpro looks set to sell 2027 Cricket World Cup tickets. The outlet found no evidence that McKenzie intervened, and he, his party and the new owners deny any impropriety.
How the Ticketpro Deal Came Together
Blu Label, a telecoms group listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, sold Ticketpro in May 2026. It said the buyer, a “women-owned broad-based black economic empowerment consortium”, had approached it with an “unsolicited bid”.
Broad-based black economic empowerment is South Africa’s policy for raising black people’s participation in the economy. Blu Label called the Ticketpro deal “an arm’s length disposal” but keeps the price confidential.
Dollar figures here use 16.66 rand to the US dollar, the rate on 5 October 2026.
In June 2026, three Blu Label executives resigned as Ticketpro directors. A new company, Ticketpro Group, was founded in August; its directors are Astrid Harrison, Omphemetse Mokgosi and marketing professional Zanele Dube.
Who Gayton McKenzie Is and How the Links Run
Gayton McKenzie is South Africa’s Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture. He also leads the Patriotic Alliance (PA), one of the country’s political parties.
Ticketpro is the official ticket seller for Cricket South Africa, the national cricket body, and the South African Football Association. Both fall within McKenzie’s oversight reach, Daily Maverick noted.
Bakang Lethoko was McKenzie’s chief of staff from August to November 2024. She then chaired his department’s Formula One bid steering committee and became Ticketpro’s chief executive in June 2026.
McKenzie appointed Mokgosi to the boards of the National Film and Video Foundation and the National Arts Council in 2024 and 2025. Harrison has described herself on social media as a “proud, disciplined member” of his party.
Speaking for Ticketpro Group, Harrison confirmed that she, Mokgosi and Dube are now Ticketpro shareholders.
The Cricket World Cup Ticketing Question
The International Cricket Council (ICC), the sport’s global governing body, unveiled the 2027 schedule in Cape Town on Thursday 1 October 2026. McKenzie attended the launch, according to Daily Maverick.
The 14-team tournament runs from 2 October to 21 November 2027, with 57 matches in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. The final is in Johannesburg on 21 November.
The ICC also opened a free ticket ballot at tickets.cricketworldcup.com. The ballot’s privacy notice names Ticketpro Group as the “official ticketing provider” that runs the platform.
The local organising committee told Daily Maverick it would announce “ticketing and all matters related thereto” in the coming weeks. By Daily Maverick’s press time, neither the committee nor Cricket South Africa had publicly confirmed Ticketpro as the World Cup’s ticket seller.
The 4% Commission and the Money at Stake
As Cricket South Africa’s official vendor, Ticketpro would be entitled to “a small percentage-based cut” of ticket sales. For the World Cup’s general-access tickets, Daily Maverick put that cut at about 4%.
A BDO consultancy study for Cricket South Africa forecasts about 409,000 general-access tickets at an average of about R250 (US$15). That would bring in about R102 million (US$6.1 million), of which 4% is roughly R4.1 million (US$246,000).
Ticketpro also sells tickets for the Proteas, South Africa’s national cricket team, including the current series against Australia. Its yearly turnover is about R100 million (US$6 million), a source told Daily Maverick.
What McKenzie and the New Owners Say
McKenzie rejected any suggestion that he might influence commercial decisions that benefit Ticketpro. “The Minister himself is limited from exercising direct procurement decisions,” his spokesperson said.
On Lethoko’s appointment, the spokesperson said: “There was no involvement.” PA spokesperson Steven Motale said the party “played no part in her appointment, formal or informal”.
Ticketpro Group said its decisions are “made on commercial merit and through the appropriate governance processes”. Lethoko said her role as chief of staff ended well before she joined Ticketpro.
Daily Maverick said it found no evidence that McKenzie intervened in the Ticketpro deal or in the company’s deals with sports bodies. The developments have nonetheless “raised eyebrows” among industry insiders, the outlet wrote.
What It Means for US Readers
For investors in South African companies, the sale is a reminder to ask who stands behind a buyer. Blu Label said it had no knowledge of the buyers’ political affiliations.
Daily Maverick said it was unclear whether Blu Label checked the buyers for links to public office before the sale.
For cricket fans in the United States, the World Cup ballot is free and open worldwide. It closes on 21 November 2026, and the ICC prices tickets from about US$9.50 to US$30.
What Is Not Known
The price the consortium paid in the Ticketpro deal, and where its money came from, have not been disclosed. It is also unclear whether Ticketpro Group owns all of Ticketpro’s shares or whether other investors are involved.
Organisers have not said how the World Cup ticket seller was chosen or how many bidders took part. Daily Maverick calls its report the first in a series named “Caught Out”, with more on the Ticketpro deal to come.
More: South Africa news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
What is the Ticketpro deal in South Africa?
In the Ticketpro deal, Blu Label sold Cricket South Africa’s official ticket seller to a women-owned empowerment consortium in May 2026. Ticketpro also sells tickets for the South African Football Association.
Who is Gayton McKenzie?
Gayton McKenzie is South Africa’s Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture. He also leads the Patriotic Alliance, a political party.
How is McKenzie linked to the Ticketpro deal?
His former chief of staff became Ticketpro’s chief executive in June 2026, and two shareholders have ties to his party. He denies any role, and Daily Maverick found no evidence that he intervened.
How much could Ticketpro earn from the 2027 Cricket World Cup?
Daily Maverick put Ticketpro’s cut at about 4% of general-access ticket sales, roughly R4.1 million (US$246,000). The terms of its cricket contracts have not been disclosed.
Can fans outside South Africa get 2027 Cricket World Cup tickets?
Yes. The free ICC ballot at tickets.cricketworldcup.com is open worldwide until 21 November 2026. The tournament itself runs from 2 October to 21 November 2027.
Sources: Daily Maverick (Ticketpro investigation), 5 October 2026; Daily Maverick (World Cup finances), 5 October 2026; ICC, 1 October 2026; CWC2027 ticket ballot, 5 October 2026; SAnews, 1 October 2026; Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, 5 October 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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