South Africa secures $1m boost as Safa sets new VAR rollout target

South African football’s long-delayed adoption of video assistant referee technology has received a fresh financial lifeline, with the South African Football Association confirming a R20 million injection from government to kickstart implementation.

The amount, roughly equivalent to $1 million, is now central to renewed efforts to finally introduce VAR across the domestic game.

Safa’s finance committee chairperson, Mxolisi Sibam, disclosed that the funds have already been allocated and placed in a dedicated account, clearing a major hurdle that had repeatedly stalled progress.

The governing body is now working through internal approvals to release the budget and begin operational work, with a revised target of having the system in place for the 2026/27 season.

“The government has been very generous with us,” Sibam said. “They have given us R20-million to implement VAR. We are in the process to finalise the approval of that budget so that we can start with the work.”

The latest development marks another shift in a timeline that has been repeatedly pushed back. Earlier commitments from Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie had pointed to a 2025/26 rollout, backed by claims that R90 million had already been secured.

However, those assurances later gave way to uncertainty, with funding still being processed even as that season approached and ultimately passed without implementation.

By early 2026, McKenzie again insisted progress had been made, declaring: “I have the proof of payment in my hand.”

Yet Safa’s confirmation of a significantly lower figure has raised questions about the discrepancy, with no clear explanation offered for the gap between the previously cited R90 million and the current R20 million allocation.

Despite the inconsistencies, Sibam maintains that groundwork has been ongoing for several months and insists there is now no justification for further delay. He also stressed the urgency of aligning South Africa with continental peers such as Morocco, Egypt and Tunisia, where VAR is already in use.

“We are the leading country in Africa. We can’t be left behind,” Sibam said.

Safa is expected to engage the Premier Soccer League as the primary end user as preparations intensify.