Open Tickets CEO Marnus van Niekerk has formally clarified the ticketing process for the MTN8 final following concerns raised regarding ticket availability and distribution for KwaZulu-Natal residents.
Tickets for the Wafa Wafa final sold out on Friday last week, the same day they went on sale, as overwhelming demand left many fans unable to secure entry.
The tickets were available exclusively online, but the high volume of buyers caused the system to crash.
Although the platform eventually recovered, many hopeful attendees were left waiting for hours, with some ultimately failing to get tickets, just like what happened during the 2025 Nedbank Cup final between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs, also in Durban.
The situation has sparked claims from people in KwaZulu-Natal that access to tickets is being deliberately controlled, with some alleging that the eThekwini Municipality wants to attract more visitors from outside the province who would spend money in the city during the event.
However, Van Niekerk says it is impossible possible to control where and who purchases tickets, insisting that everyone was given a fair opportunity.
He also revealed that KwaZulu-Natal residents accounted for almost 60% of ticket buyers, with Gauteng recording the second-highest number of purchases.
“There is a narrative that people from KZN didn’t get a fair opportunity to buy tickets. I can absolutely say that is not true,” said van Niekerk.
“There’s not from the sponsor or from the league or from Open Tickets, any effort to in any way control who buys tickets, who don’t buy tickets. There was a queuing system that was fair to everyone. Everyone had exactly the same opportunity.
“And we have the statistics to back that up. Nearly 60% of the tickets that were sold were sold to people in KZN. Obviously, Gauteng is second on the list.
“But there is no truth to any rumour that people from KZN were not given a fair opportunity to buy tickets.”