SAFA says R20m VAR fund remains untouched as final 21-day deadline is granted

The South African Football Association (SAFA) says the R20 million provided by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) for the introduction of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology has not been spent and remains secured in a separate account.

The announcement comes after Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie expressed frustration over delays to the project, following the transfer of the funds to SAFA.

SAFA said the full amount, along with the interest earned, would remain untouched until the outstanding governance, budget verification and procurement procedures had been completed.

The association provided the update to its members, stakeholders, the football community and the public while outlining the steps still required before the VAR project can move forward.

DSAC transferred the R20m to SAFA in April 2026 to support the implementation of VAR in South African football. Before the money was received, SAFA said it had completed a detailed technical assessment of VAR technology and potential service providers.

That evaluation resulted in three preferred VAR providers being identified. However, SAFA stressed that no contracts had been signed with any of them.

At a meeting on 9 and 10 May 2026, SAFA’s National Executive Committee (NEC) approved the VAR project in principle. The NEC decided, however, that the project’s budget, cost estimates and procurement requirements needed further examination before any tender process or contractual commitment could begin.

The review was assigned to SAFA’s Finance Committee and a dedicated task team, in line with the association’s governance and policy obligations.

SAFA has also held discussions with the Premier Soccer League (PSL) through the Joint Liaison Committee (JLC). As part of those consultations, the VAR Project Team made presentations to both the JLC and the PSL Executive Committee on the proposed framework for introducing the technology.

The football association acknowledged that the governance checks, financial verification and due diligence work had taken longer than expected.

Following discussions with DSAC on 18 August, the department granted SAFA a final 21-day extension to complete the remaining procedures and provide a detailed report on the project.

That report must include the recommendations produced by the review, as well as confirmation of the funds being held.

SAFA thanked Minister McKenzie and DSAC for their continued support and engagement, despite the concerns surrounding the delay.

The association said it remained committed to introducing VAR in a way that was transparent, financially responsible and compliant with governance and procurement rules. It also said the project needed to be sustainable before implementation could proceed.