Newlands Test ticketing fiasco: CSA apologises for poor communication
Cricket SA apologised for poor communication regarding the Newlands ticket fiasco, where only 13% of tickets were available to the public, leading to a sell-out within 10 minutes.
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Cricket South Africa (CSA) has apologised for the Newlands ticketing fiasco, following a week of addressing concerns over ticket sales.
The public were denied access to the majority of tickets when they went on sale on Monday for the New Year’s Test between South Africa and England in Cape Town.
It emerged that CSA allocated 13% of tickets to the general public for the Test match scheduled for Newlands between January 3 and 7.
This was while 39% of tickets were sold to international and domestic travel packages. It resulted in tickets being sold out within 10 minutes of going on sale. According to ESPNcricinfo, only 1 600 tickets per day for the first four days of the match were put on sale, which were snapped up immediately.
CSA Apologises for Ticket Communication Confusion, Announces Next Batch Pricing
“CSA recognises that its communication around ticket availability did not provide the clarity supporters expected, and we apologise for the confusion this created,” said CSA in a statement on Thursday.
Meanwhile, CSA CEO Pholetsi Moseki said: “We remain committed to ensuring that ticket access is managed fairly, transparently, and in a way that
balances supporter demand with the operational requirements of hosting a major international sporting event.
“We equally value the loyal support fans have shown to the Proteas Men as the World Test Champions since their historic victory in June 2025, which all lies at the heart of the game.”
CSA also went on to say that the next batch of tickets (the total number is still to be confirmed) that will be released to the public will be between R420 and R500 per ticket.