SAFA receive funds for implementation of VAR

The South African government has officially released funding to the South African Football Association (SAFA) to support the rollout of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie confirmed on Wednesday.

At a press briefing held at Freedom Park Heritage Site in Pretoria, McKenzie revealed that the National Treasury has already transferred the allocated funds to SAFA.

He also presented documentation verifying the payment.

“We have now made sure that everything has been done. We are ready, and we have kept our promise of VAR. In my hand, I have a proof of payment that we wrote to the treasury,” he said.

“We have given the money for VAR to SAFA. SAFA must just pay because there’s nothing McKenzie can do anymore.”

Earlier, the minister had indicated that R20 million had been earmarked in the current financial year to facilitate VAR’s introduction in South African football, addressing calls for technology to support referees and improve decision-making in the domestic game.

McKenzie detailed the careful planning behind the initiative, stressing that implementation was not rushed.

“Another promise we made was to move forward with the implementation of VAR in SA football, and when this discussion began, we were told that implementing VAR in South Africa could cost as much as R80 million, but instead of rushing into the process we met with SAFA, and together with SAFA we assembled a technical team and the best referees to properly evaluate all the options.

“That team was led by Daniel Bennett, working alongside Victor Gomes and others. We wanted to get the right people to do this, and they assessed all the serious technology providers and worked closely with FIFA to ensure South Africa implements VAR in line with global standards.”

He added that the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture took the lead in the process, but emphasized that collaboration with SAFA was essential.

“The department of sport, arts and culture was leading this process to ensure we implement VAR, but we cannot implement VAR alone, so we have to work with SAFA, and the SAFA CEO has truly been a star in working with us.”

Government officials also carried out international benchmarking to understand how VAR is applied worldwide and to stay abreast of emerging football technologies.

In addition to the VAR update, McKenzie confirmed that South Africa is ready to host the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) if Morocco decides not to stage the tournament.