Minister Gayton McKenzie, the sale of a ticketing company, and its CEO’s links to the Patriotic Alliance

Member of Parliament Leah Potgieter has raised concerns about the sale of Ticketpro and about contracts linked to South African sporting bodies.

In May 2026, Blue Label Telecoms disposed of its ticketing subsidiary, Ticketpro, selling the business for R5 million.

The buyer was a women-owned Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) consortium operating via Ticketpro Group.

Former Ticketpro CEO Brandon Duffield and two other Blue Label executives resigned as directors effective 1 June 2026.

According to Potgieter, there was more to the sale than meets the eye, as there were close ties to Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie’s Patriotic Alliance (PA).

She said that Ticketpro serves Cricket South Africa (CSA) and the South African Football Association (SAFA).

The consortium which bought the online ticketing company, she said, is linked to Patriotic Alliance.

“This development raises questions about the ever-growing overlap between PA-linked individuals and South Africa’s sports, arts, and cultural sectors,” she said.

Following TicketPro’s May sale, the ticketing company is now overseen by CEO Bakang Lethoko, who previously served as Minister McKenzie’s Chief of Staff.

She also chaired the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture’s steering committee for the Formula One bid.

Additionally, two other individuals linked to PA now serve as directors in TicketPro’s new corporate structure, the TicketPro Group.

“This speaks to a wider issue of PA-linked individuals being appointed to key positions across the sports, arts and cultural sectors,” Potgieter said.

She said a recent investigation found that 19 individuals linked to the PA or McKenzie have been appointed to the boards of entities that report to the Department.

Minister Gayton McKenzie under siege

Potgieter raised concerns over Minister Gayton McKenzie’s reach across South Africa’s sports, arts and cultural sectors.

She added that the growing presence of PA-linked individuals in key positions was equally worrying and posed a risk to the country.

“There now exists a conflict of interest across these sectors. This PA patronage legacy will outlast McKenzie’s tenure,” she said.

She said that South Africans are familiar with the dangers of cadre deployment, and it appears that the PA has learned from the African National Congress’s (ANC).

“On Thursday and Friday last week, the Portfolio Committee on Sport, Arts and Culture had to endure the Department defending its poor annual performance,” she said.

This happened while Minister McKenzie was absent for most of both meetings, instead attending a Cricket World Cup event and a PA political meeting.

This happened in a department where targets regressed by 13%, and a lack of consequence management was flagged as a serious risk.

“The Minister ought to realise that good governance starts with appointing people to lead the department and its entities on merit, not political ties,” she said.