--- title: "Gayton McKenzie-linked empowerment consortium scores Ticketpro deal ahead of 2027 Cricket World Cup" description: "The former chief of staff to Sport Minister and Patriotic Alliance (PA) leader Gayton McKenzie is the new CEO of Cricket South Africa’s incumbent ticketing vendor. This follows the sale of Ticketpro to a women-owned empowerment consortium with links to the PA, raising concerns about alleged political influence in SA’s lucrative sport and culture economy." type: "NewsArticle" publisher: "Daily Maverick" site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za" section: "CAUGHT OUT" authors: - name: "Ferial Haffajee" url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/ferialhaffajee/" - name: "Pieter-Louis Myburgh" url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/pieter-louismyburgh/" - name: "Craig Ray" url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/craig-ray/" - name: "Annemieke Thomaidis" url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/annemieke-thomaidis/" canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-10-05-gayton-mckenzie-ticketpro-cricket-south-africa/" published: "2026-10-05T04:30:00" updated: "2026-10-05T06:06:40" lang: "en-ZA" word_count: 2410 --- # Gayton McKenzie-linked empowerment consortium scores Ticketpro deal ahead of 2027 Cricket World Cup > The former chief of staff to Sport Minister and Patriotic Alliance (PA) leader Gayton McKenzie is the new CEO of Cricket South Africa’s incumbent ticketing vendor. This follows the sale of Ticketpro to a women-owned empowerment consortium with links to the PA, raising concerns about alleged political influence in SA’s lucrative sport and culture economy. By Ferial Haffajee, Pieter-Louis Myburgh, Craig Ray and Annemieke Thomaidis · Published 5 October 2026, 06:30 SAST · Updated 5 October 2026, 08:06 SAST ## Key points - Ticketpro, the ticketing vendor for Cricket South Africa and Safa, has been sold to a women-owned empowerment consortium with links to the Patriotic Alliance. - Bakang Lethoko, Sport Minister Gayton McKenzie’s former chief of staff, is now Ticketpro’s CEO, while two new shareholders have connections to McKenzie and the PA. - The company appears poised to handle ticketing for the 2027 Cricket World Cup, potentially tapping major revenues from cricket’s bumper season. - McKenzie, the PA and Ticketpro deny wrongdoing; Daily Maverick found no evidence of ministerial intervention — but unanswered questions remain about the sale and procurement process. ## Content Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie’s former chief of staff, a McKenzie board appointee and a “proud” member of the Patriotic Alliance have emerged as central figures in a multimillion-rand acquisition that places Ticketpro in the hands of a new women-owned consortium. Ticketpro is the official ticketing vendor for Cricket South Africa (CSA) and the South African Football Association (Safa), raising concerns over commercial dealings between Ticketpro’s new PA-linked owners and sports bodies that fall within McKenzie’s oversight reach. Tickets for the Proteas’ current and upcoming home fixtures in a bumper 2026/2027 summer season are sold through Ticketpro. All indications are that the company also bagged the deal to sell tickets for the 2027 Men’s Cricket World Cup. [READ MORE Upcoming World Cup promises R500m lifeline for ailing Cricket South Africa October 5, 2026 ![Image](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/MwgqV8TTzWjPqgIdYXpgM3WM-2A=/450x0/smart/file/attachments/2998/TL_2133786_954172.jpg)](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-10-05-cricket-south-africa-world-cup/) McKenzie has strongly rejected any suggestion that he might somehow influence commercial decisions that benefit Ticketpro. “The Minister himself is limited from exercising direct procurement decisions… In the event that Ticketpro, an old and long-established company in South Africa, were to bid for any work, it would have to follow standard procurement rules, which the Minister would not exercise any influence over,” McKenzie said through a spokesperson. A month-long Daily Maverick investigation reveals that Bakang Lethoko, who served as McKenzie’s chief of staff from August until November 2024 and then chaired the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture’s (DSAC) Formula One bid steering committee, took over as Ticketpro’s new CEO in June this year. The move comes after the JSE-listed telecommunications group Blu Label in May quietly sold its sports and events ticketing business to a “women-owned broad-based black economic empowerment consortium” after being approached with an “unsolicited bid”. ![Ticketpro](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/BStyCCiY1RDsHAfdOITnq2a2iIU=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/StumpedDMCSAinvestigation02_366912.jpg) *Gayton McKenzie, new Ticketpro CEO Bakang Lethoko (in white T-shirt) and other members of McKenzie’s ministerial team shortly after he became sport minister in 2024. (Photo: Instagram)* The other PA-linked individuals involved in the transaction are Astrid Harrison and Omphemetse Mokgosi, whose responses to Daily Maverick’s questions confirmed that they are now Ticketpro shareholders. Mokgosi was appointed by McKenzie to the boards of the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) in November 2024 and the National Arts Council (NAC) in January 2025. Be the first to know Follow this series [SIGN UP](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/newsletters/?action=subscribe&newsletter=investigations) She has also served as a director of Metrobus and the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA), two City of Johannesburg (CoJ) entities that report to Kenny Kunene, the PA’s deputy president and the City’s Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for transport. Harrison has described herself on social media as a “proud, disciplined member” of McKenzie’s party. She is married to Timothy Harrison, a director of Spinning Sport South Africa, a non-profit company that was set up to grow the sport of car spinning. In October 2024, McKenzie[pledged R5-million](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHx_LACxUvs) in funding from his department to promote the sport. “The Department of Sport has been in the process of recognising and funding the new spinning federation, and Mr Harrison is part of that federation,” McKenzie’s spokesperson told Daily Maverick. “The Minister knows him \[Harrison\] in a professional capacity.” The Ticketpro transaction, meanwhile, was an arms-length deal devoid of any impropriety, stated the stakeholders. McKenzie, the PA and the politically linked individuals at the centre of the transaction all strongly denied any impropriety. While Daily Maverick has not found any evidence to suggest that McKenzie intervened in this transaction, nor in Ticketpro’s commercial arrangements with sports bodies, the developments have raised eyebrows among industry insiders who spoke to Daily Maverick on condition of anonymity. ![Ticketpro](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/8wEg_XpYRSw4aqGxvmKugurkXls=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/StumpedDMCSAinvestigation01_778084.jpg) *Astrid Harrison, one of Ticketpro’s new shareholders, posted this picture on social media in 2023. (Photo: Facebook)* ### **Murky World Cup ‘tender’ process** Daily Maverick asked the local organising committee (LOC) for next year’s tournament whether Ticketpro had been chosen as the ticket distributor. We also wanted to know what process preceded the ticket vendor’s appointment, how many bidders were considered, and what criteria ultimately informed the successful bid. “In the coming weeks, we will be making an announcement on ticketing and all matters related thereto,” responded the LOC. By the time of going to print, neither the LOC nor CSA had publicly announced that Ticketpro had been chosen for the job. However, events from last week suggest that Ticketpro had probably clinched the deal. ![Ticketpro](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/ss48ozjxI9B73D4dmvSjScWPjoU=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/StumpedDMCSAinvestigation19_968825.jpg) *Sport Minister Gayton McKenzie (seated, centre), with 2027 Cricket World Cup local organising committee (LOC) CEO Qondisa Ngwenya (seated on the left), chairman of the LOC board Trevor Manuel (on the right of McKenzie), and other LOC members and tournament stakeholders. The photo was taken at last week’s launch event for the tournament’s schedule and ticketing ballot. (Photo: Cricket SA / Facebook)* On Thursday, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the schedule for the 2027 tournament at an event in Cape Town. McKenzie attended the launch. The ICC also unveiled a website for a ticket ballot that enables fans to register for tickets. The site’s “general terms and conditions” and “data privacy policy” links open Ticketpro pages. Asked about the Cricket World Cup opportunity, Harrison, who spoke on behalf of the women-owned structure that seemingly bought Ticketpro, said: “We do not believe it would be appropriate to comment on prospective tenders or procurement processes. Where Ticketpro elects to participate in any future opportunity, it will do so through the applicable procurement processes and requirements.” ### **Bumper home season, 2027 World Cup** Ticketpro’s ownership change occurred ahead of a bumper Proteas home schedule for the 2026/2027 summer season, starting with the current series against Australia and culminating in January’s matches against England. The latter series alone could bring in ticket sales totalling roughly R100-million, an industry insider told Daily Maverick. Next year’s Men’s Cricket World Cup – co-hosted by South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe – may earn CSA in excess of R100-million in ticket sales, while the popular Betway SA20 tournament ensures further ticket revenues for cricket’s governing body. As CSA’s official ticket vendor, Ticketpro would be entitled to take a small percentage-based cut of these sales. The exact value and nature of Ticketpro’s contracts with CSA have not been disclosed. ![Ticketpro](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/vQDaO1RKocA0n6dEg9bpN56c-jY=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/StumpedDMCSAinvestigation18_271712.jpg) *An advert for the Proteas’ current series against Australia, posted on Ticketpro’s Facebook page. (Photo: Ticketpro / Facebook)* Ticketpro’s earnings from cricket tickets alone will probably be relatively modest, according to industry insiders, but the company’s tie-up with the CSA could nevertheless 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 selling tickets to sport fixtures, music concerts, festivals and other events. ### **‘Unsolicited bid’** For now, details regarding the Ticketpro sale remain murky amid confidentiality undertakings cited by the relevant parties. Blu Label said it couldn’t divulge the name of the empowerment entity that bought its former subsidiary. “As is usual in private transactions of this nature, the sale agreement includes confidentiality undertakings that bind both Blu Label and the purchaser. Those undertakings extend to the identity of the purchaser, to the consideration and proceeds of the disposal, and to the terms on which the transaction was concluded,” the group stated. “Blu Label is not able to set those undertakings aside on its own and is accordingly not in a position to disclose that information without the purchaser’s consent. This is what informs our response rather than any reluctance on the company’s part.” [Media: "Connections"](https://bernard-lgtm.github.io/embed_timeline/Ticketpro_Connections_V7.html) Blu Label said it sold Ticketpro to a “women-owned broad-based black economic empowerment consortium”. The latter had approached Blu Label with an “unsolicited bid”. According to Blu Label, the deal constituted “an arm’s length disposal”. Asked if it had been aware of the women-owned consortium’s alleged political ties, Blu Label said it had “no knowledge of the affiliations, associations or other interests of the individuals concerned.” It is not clear whether Blu Label applied any Politically Exposed Persons verifications prior to concluding the deal, but a simple Google search would have revealed that Mokgosi, for one, had been appointed to the boards of entities that reported to McKenzie’s department. ### **Corporate mechanics** A series of corporate changes earlier this year provide some insight to the Ticketpro deal. In June, a trio of Blu Label executives resigned as Ticketpro directors. This included Brandon Duffield, Ticketpro’s former CEO. During the same month, Lethoko, McKenzie’s former chief of staff, assumed her position as Ticketpro’s new CEO. She is currently listed as the entity’s sole director. ![Ticketpro](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/mjM0YC1p0qFcuK2l5DZJDppmQJM=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/StumpedDMCSAinvestigation09_541639_312825.jpg) *New Ticketpro CEO Bakang Lethoko with Gayton McKenzie at a Patriotic Alliance gathering in 2022. (Photo: Supplied)* A new corporate structure called Ticketpro Group, meanwhile, was founded in August. Its directors are Harrison and Mokgosi, together with Zanele Dube, a marketing professional from Johannesburg. Daily Maverick is yet to establish whether Ticketpro Group now owns all of Ticketpro’s shares or whether there are other stakeholders involved in the deal. Harrison, speaking on behalf of the Ticketpro Group, confirmed that she, Mokgosi and Dube are now shareholders in Ticketpro. BE THE FIRST TO KNOW Follow this series [Sign up](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/newsletters/?action=subscribe&newsletter=investigations) “The day-to-day management of the company \[Ticketpro\] is the responsibility of its executive management, led by the CEO \[Lethoko\]. As shareholders, our role is to provide strategic direction and appropriate oversight,” read Harrison’s response. None of the parties involved in the transaction would say how much money the women-owned consortium had to fork out to acquire Ticketpro, or where it had obtained the funds. According to a single footnote in Blu Label’s 2025/2026 Annual Financial Statements, the group was subjected to “a net outflow of R35-million relating to the disposal of Ticketpro.” It is unclear whether the net outflow resulted from the women-owned consortium acquiring Ticketpro through a vendor-finance deal, as suggested by one source familiar with developments. [Media: "Timeline"](https://bernard-lgtm.github.io/embed_timeline/Ticketpro_Timeline_V7.html) ### **‘Should PA members starve?’** Responding through a spokesperson, McKenzie strongly denied any role in his former chief of staff’s ascension to her new position as Ticketpro’s boss. McKenzie’s full set of responses can be [accessed here](https://go.fliplink.me/view/43593451-5396-4A3C-B464-0046D6980036). “There was no involvement, and the Minister’s understanding is that Ms Lethoko built her own relationships with the relevant decision-makers in pursuing her career. However, the Minister has great respect for her and would gladly have recommended her to any employer, although on this occasion he was not asked for a reference, either formally or informally.” As for Harrison and Mokgosi’s positions in the new Ticketpro structure, the minister’s spokesperson said: “You are referring here to a matter that neither the Minister nor the Department have any involvement with. Please direct your questions to the relevant parties as we have no information on this.” ![Ticketpro](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/r4fEf_ABdu9NBlTtNcIpRCMlBuE=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/StumpedDMCSAinvestigation13_830249.jpg) *Omphemetse Mokgosi, one of the Ticketpro Group’s three directors, was appointed by Minister Gayton McKenzie to the boards of the National Film and Video Foundation and the National Arts Council. (Photo: NFVF)* And what of conflicts of interest, actual or perceived, that may stem from his former chief of staff’s new position in a ticketing company that does business with sports bodies that have regulatory ties to his department? “The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture’s field of work is broad, and tickets are sold across both the arts sphere and in sport. It’s highly likely that Ms Lethoko was hired based on her expertise in the sector and what she has to offer as a leader, not due to access to DSAC. If conflicts of interest can be proven, that would be another matter, but the Ministry is not capable of policing anyone’s perception of any matter. As things stand, no actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest has been flagged for review to date,” reads McKenzie’s response. “There seems to be a strange view out there that if you are associated with the PA then you should hope for nothing more in life than to be a cleaner or perhaps a nail technician, if you are lucky. We believe that people are more than just members of political parties and if they wish to pursue their own dreams then they should do that, with love and goodwill.” According to the written feedback, McKenzie was accustomed to accusations regarding “PA people” who do business with the state. “Now it seems it’s a problem when they take a job in the private sector or do business in the private sector. Perhaps the only good PA member in the eyes of the media is a dead PA member. He has asked: ‘Should PA members starve?’” read the spokesperson’s response. Ticketpro Group denied that its perceived political ties were problematic. [Click here](https://go.fliplink.me/view/B284D738-A2DD-4079-BB85-76F12D1B6558) for the entity’s full responses. “Ticketpro Group is a private commercial entity and its business decisions are made on commercial merit and through the appropriate governance processes. Ticketpro Group has appropriate governance processes in place to identify, disclose and manage any potential conflicts of interest.” Lethoko, whose full responses are [available here](https://go.fliplink.me/view/161D4106-6291-4B56-AB0B-354992C68DCB), said her role as chief of staff at McKenzie’s department ended well before her appointment at Ticketpro. “I do not believe that questions regarding my personal political membership are relevant to my role as CEO of Ticketpro or to the commercial matters raised and I therefore do not wish to comment on this,” stated Lethoko. ![Ticketpro](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/mAb3_hQWDCNTJQqxLYsvfdGuZpE=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/2998/Bakang_PA_FB_Jan2025_747456.jpg) *Bakang Lethoko posted this picture on social media in January 2025. (Photo: Facebook)* The PA denied that it in any way influenced Lethoko’s appointment at Ticketpro. [Click here](https://go.fliplink.me/view/FE29FD9A-2585-4B6B-8393-2921E3C380AC) for the party’s full responses. “Ticketpro is a private company, and its choice of CEO is a matter for its owners and board. The Patriotic Alliance played no part in her appointment, formal or informal, and nobody acting for the party had any discussions with Ticketpro about it,” said party spokesperson Steven Motale. Motale distanced the PA from the Ticketpro Group’s new directors. “None of them are employed by the Patriotic Alliance, hold office in it, or do business with it. The party has had no role in any business opportunity, board seat or other position they have held.” Accusations that the PA was involved in patronage politics were entirely unfounded, according to Motale. “If Daily Maverick has evidence that any appointment was irregular, or that anyone has benefited improperly from a decision in the portfolio, it should be reported to the relevant authorities. The party would support any such investigation.” - *This is the first instalment in Daily Maverick’s ‘Caught Out’ series. Upcoming reports will shed further light on the Ticketpro transaction and related matters.*[*Follow the series here*](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/newsletters/?action=subscribe&newsletter=investigations)*.* - *If you know more about this story,*[*tip us off here*](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/tipoffs/?dm_source=about-page&dm_medium=link&dm_campaign=navigation&_gl=1*xl09j6*_up*MQ..*_ga*MjExNzQyMTE5Mi4xNzkxMTQxMDE1*_ga_Y7XD5FHQVG*czE3OTExNDEwMTUkbzEkZzAkdDE3OTExNDEwMTUkajYwJGwwJGgzNTY4MzI0NTkkZERwSjFDSmFjeVQ5ZWVOVG5RYjh3RmJqTFJWTjRZWkFWWkE)*.* ![Ticketpro](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/3B4x5jYmmU2Yq1hY2Ocgh6jr1AQ=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/Scorpio-Logo.jpg)