Untouched R20m turns South Africa VAR plan into funding test
South Africa’s R20m public allocation for VAR remains untouched months after transfer to SAFA, turning the delayed technology rollout into a test of procurement and federation accountability.
The South African Football Association has until September 9 to account for its stalled VAR programme after confirming that the full R20m transferred by government remains unused in a separate account.The money was transferred on March 6 as the first tranche of a three-year implementation programme, but procurement has yet to be completed and planned milestones have slipped.Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie said in May: “Nearly two years ago when I took office, I promised South Africans that VAR would be rolled out, and this Department would ensure that happens.”The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture requested a progress report from SAFA on April 8 but received no report.SAFA’s national executive committee subsequently approved implementation in May while requiring its finance committee to conduct a further review of the budget before final approval.A task team was then established to examine the programme. SAFA’s chief executive confirmed to that task team on July 13 that none of the transferred funds had been spent, with questions also raised around individual budget items.The department demanded repayment of the R20m on August 13 because of the lack of progress and reporting. SAFA responded on August 18, apologising for the delay and confirming that both the principal and accrued interest remained intact.The federation asked for up to 21 additional days to complete its internal budget verification. A final extension was granted on August 19, requiring SAFA to report on project status, the outcome of the review, recommendations and the full balance of funds held.The latest clarification also resolves confusion surrounding larger figures previously associated with the programme.R82m had previously been set aside, but National Treasury ultimately approved R20m as the first tranche against SAFA’s three-year plan, which was budgeted at around R54.7m in February. The only public money spent so far is R765,257 for a technical mission to Spain in November 2025.The issue is therefore now as much about governance and procurement capability as refereeing technology.SAFA’s next report will determine whether the project proceeds towards experimental deployment during the 2026/27 season or whether government seeks repayment and an alternative implementation route.