Sports,Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie has defended his department’s spending of R31 million on the FIFA World Cup for officials and content creators,claiming that every cent could be accounted for.
Gallo Images/Frennie Shivambu
Minister Gayton McKenzie says the Department of Sport,Arts and Culture budgeted R30 million for a delegation to soccer’s biggest showpiece in June and July. The FIFA World Cup trip cost taxpayers R31 million,as revealed through parliamentary responses. McKenzie told MPs on Tuesday evening that the department went “slightly” over budget in a bid to promote South Africa. For more politics,visit News24 Politics.“I have no regrets – I can account for every cent that was spent,” said Sport,Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie as MPs questioned the R31 million his department spent on its delegation to the FIFA World Cup in North America.
McKenzie was a common sight during Bafana Bafana’s matches at soccer’s biggest showpiece. In two separate parliamentary responses,he confirmed the R31-million expenditure,although he said the final figure could increase or decrease once all invoices had been reconciled. The money was spent over five weeks.
Both ActionSA and the DA – fierce political rivals of McKenzie’s Patriotic Alliance – have questioned the spending,particularly whether the money could have been better used to support grassroots sports development.
On Tuesday evening,McKenzie and his department were called to account for the expenditure.
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Addressing MPs,McKenzie said,“We looked at R30 million” for the trip. This was confirmed by Teboho Thebehae,a chief director in the department,who told MPs the budget had come from within the department,including programmes such as heritage and arts.
READ | ActionSA and DA question McKenzie’s department about R31m World Cup trip
McKenzie said: “The money that we spent was budgeted for.”
The minister argued that the expenditure was aimed at promoting South Africa and taking “artists and legends” to North America.
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McKenzie left the meeting shortly after 18:00 and only returned after 20:00.
In his absence,MPs raised questions about the report presented to them,as it emerged that there had been no reconciliation of expenses and flights,including whether members of the delegation had travelled economy or first class. This made it difficult for MPs to scrutinise the expenditure.
DA MP Leah Potgieter,a frequent critic of McKenzie,questioned why so many ministerial staff members had travelled instead of departmental officials with the technical expertise required for a project of this scale.
Potgieter claimed that between 50% and 60% of the delegation was made up of staff from the minister’s office,which she described as “excessive”.
The delegation spent approximately R7.8 million,although this figure could increase or decrease once all outstanding invoices have been collated.
The taxpayer has so far spent R6 706 925 on the South Africa 2010 legends exhibition match and R3 361 845 on suites. Spectator match tickets cost R3 011 465,while R10 million was spent on fan engagement,partnership activations and legacy activities.
When McKenzie returned to the meeting,he acknowledged that the figures presented were from a “preliminary report” and said the department could provide the committee with a full report.
Thebehae said the document remained a “draft until all information is added”.
READ | Patricia de Lille’s two-day,R1m Mexican jaunt during World Cup
In a separate parliamentary question,Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille was reported to have spent R1 million on a 48-hour trip to Mexico,where she met with travel agencies to promote tourism to South Africa,as well as tourism bodies and airlines to facilitate direct travel between Mexico and South Africa.
De Lille’s short visit was also meant to further efforts by the departments of Home Affairs and International Relations to prioritise and optimise the pilot rollout of the electronic travel authorisation (ETA).
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The ETA was piloted in September 2025 for the G20,with Mexico being among the four countries for which South Africa wanted to roll out a fast-tracked visa application process. Other countries are China,India,and Indonesia.
This was not the first time McKenzie’s travel came under the spotlight. In 2024,shortly after his appointment as part of the government of national unity,McKenzie spent R800 000 during the Paris Olympics,most of which went to land transportation.
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