Overview
- The public sale that began on Monday 18 May sold out within minutes for days one to four of the New Year’s Test at Newlands, leaving many local supporters unable to buy tickets.
- Cricket South Africa has confirmed that 12% of general-access tickets were reserved for international travel packages and 27% for domestic packages through its SA Cricket Travel venture with Tourvest.
- Independent reporting reproduced by multiple outlets says only about 13% of Newlands tickets were allocated to the general public, with about 9% released in the initial sale and the rest slated for later release.
- Tickets appeared on resale platforms within minutes to hours of the sale at heavily marked-up prices, driving anger from fans who say package allocations and weak anti-scalping controls priced them out.
- CSA has apologised for confused communication, said more general-access tickets may be released after final pitch allocations are confirmed, and faces pressure to balance revenue from tourism and hospitality with fair access for local fans.