The Democratic Alliance (DA) has intensified its scrutiny of Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie, alleging that an estimated R30.95 million in taxpayer money was spent on South Africa’s FIFA World Cup 2026 programme without sufficient transparency.
The party says it will push for McKenzie to appear before Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Sport, Arts and Culture to account for the expenditure, arguing that his department has repeatedly failed to provide detailed information about the delegation and its costs.
READ | How much each African team earned at FIFA World Cup 2026
DA questions World Cup spending
In a parliamentary written reply to DA MP Lerato Potgieter, the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) confirmed that its approved World Cup support programme cost an estimated R30 945 370.15.
According to the department, the expenditure covered:
- Official travel
- The Legends Exhibition Match
- Hospitality suites
- Match tickets
- Fan engagement and cultural programme activations
The department also disclosed that the travel costs for its official delegation of 18 departmental officials amounted to an estimated R7 865 134.97.
This group comprised:
- Minister Gayton McKenzie
- Two ministerial support staff
- Director-General Cynthia Khumalo
- A 14-member project team
Officials were deployed across host cities to oversee logistics, communications, protocol, stakeholder engagement, international relations and on-site coordination.
In addition, the department funded 20 artists and cultural participants to perform during South Africa’s cultural activation programme at the tournament.
Department says figures still being reconciled
Despite confirming the overall programme cost, the department declined to provide a traveller-by-traveller breakdown, saying the World Cup programme involved multiple categories of participants, including officials, artists, legends, media partners, sponsor-funded supporters and implementation partners.
It argued that describing everyone as a single delegation would be misleading.
The department said it is finalising a reconciliation that will, where applicable, include each participant’s:
- Full name
- Official role
- Programme or event attended
- Countries and cities visited
- Length of stay
- Flight, accommodation and transport costs
- Subsistence and travel allowances
- Visa and insurance costs
- Accreditation and match tickets
- Hospitality expenses
- Funding source
It added that some participants were funded directly by the department, while others travelled through sponsorships or implementing partners.
The department also stressed that the “Lucky Fans” programme did not use public funds, saying those travel packages were entirely sponsor-funded.
DA unconvinced
The DA says the minister has provided inconsistent and incomplete responses to parliamentary questions, arguing that the lack of detailed expenditure raises concerns about financial oversight.
The party says it will submit further parliamentary questions seeking the names of all participants and an itemised breakdown of spending.
It also intends requesting that McKenzie appear before the Portfolio Committee to explain the expenditure and account for the department’s use of public funds.
The department maintains that it will only release the final figures once all invoices and travel costs have been fully reconciled, saying it does not want to publish incomplete or inaccurate information.
Do you ever wonder if Flight Centre could’ve arranged a cheaper trip?
Let us know by clicking on the comment banner below …