SMSA initiates fake ticket measures after 100,000 packed Soweto derby

Stadium Management South Africa (SMSA) admitted on Tuesday this month's Betway Premiership Soweto derby between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs was overcrowded by more than 13,000 extra people in FNB Stadium.

The surplus supporters are believed to have gained entry using fake tickets for a match, won 1-0 by Pirates on February 1, that was supposed to be watched by 87,000 but held a crowd of 100,000.

“At the derby, in the 87,000 capacity [stadium] we had more than 100,000 people. We were confronted with a huge number of fake tickets,” SMSA CEO Bertie Grobbelaar said in a press conference at FNB Stadium on Tuesday.

“We know what contributed to that. The derby was sold out two weeks before and that allowed the syndicates with an easy system to produce fake tickets.

“It's unfortunate that there were people left outside with the original tickets but that was for the safety and security perspective to manage the situation without any incidents. We have an obligation to the clubs to sort this out. We owe it to the fans and public, sponsors and PSL.”

The media briefing was also addressed by Pirates media officer and Chiefs corporate communications manager Vina Maphosa. 

To address the problem, Grobbelaar announced SMSA have appointed a new ticketing company, Open Tickets, to manage sales and entry for matches at their venues that includes Pirates' home ground, the 40,000-seat Orlando Stadium.

Chiefs' home ground is FNB and while this month's match was a Pirates home game, derbies between the teams are always played at the far bigger-capacity 2010 World Cup final venue.

Grobbelaar said SMSA, in consultation with Chiefs and Pirates, has been investigating ways to deal with fraudulent tickets, hence the introduction of Open Tickets who will add the option of buying tickets via social media platforms and WhatsApp, among other developments.

“The plan was always to implement a new ticketing option and system at the start of the 2025-2026 season. Now, unfortunately with the derby on February 1, it became evident we need to accelerate that process. 

“We identified two issues that contributed towards the problems we had. One, fraudulent tickets; and the second was scanning issues at the entry point. In some cases, people [gate controllers] were taking bribes to let people in.

“From March 1 you'll have a new ticketing partner and a new ticketing purchase system in place. 

“With regard to the derby, 29,000 tickets were sold on the online platform and this number increased from about 45% to 50% over the previous season.

“About 46,000 of the tickets were purchased at the outlets, the so-called 'till-slip' tickets. That's the ticket printed on the normal till slip you get when you buy groceries or fill your vehicle at the garage.

“It's nobody's fault — it [till-slip tickets] was a good idea in the beginning to make tickets accessible, but you can imagine the amount of fraud that goes with this. There's no way to install security features in these tickets. 

“So the first discussion [after the derby] was to discontinue till-slip tickets. A decision was taken to do so — but let us think potentially about 46,000 people without access to tickets.

“In discussions with our new ticketing service provider they managed to secure 1,700 outlets [shops] around the country where you can purchase tickets, but not the till-slip tickets. I'm referring to a ticket printed on a proper printer and a ticket you can apply a certain security feature to. Also it will be on totally new paper stock — nothing the market has seen to date.

“We've realised fraudsters and criminal syndicates will soon pick up [inferior systems] and we'll be confronted with syndicates again producing fraudulent tickets. But we're confident that with measures we'll apply at the access point, we'll be able to manage that process far more effectively than we did to date with the till-slip tickets.”

Grobbelaar said one the reasons fraudsters have succeeded in replicating football tickets is that no arrests are made by SAPS on the matter.

“As media you need to apply pressure on all of us involved to make sure these acts of criminality are dealt with. People continue with this because there's no consequences.”

He said with the new ticketing system, for the first time fans will be able to purchase tickets via WhatsApp.

“The process to purchase is extremely easy and you can pay by any card and you also purchase via One Voucher vendors in and around Soweto where the venues are managed.

“The process to purchase will be available on the websites of the two clubs.”

The first major test of the new system will be in the blockbuster Premiership fixture between Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns at Orlando Stadium on March 15.