The South African Football Association [SAFA] has addressed the delays surrounding the rollout of the Video Assistant Referee [VAR] system in South African football, shedding light on the critical technical and administrative processes involved.
The update was delivered during a joint press conference held in Pretoria on Wednesday, 14 October, led by SAFA president Danny Jordaan alongside the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie.
To address the shortage of qualified personnel, SAFA revealed it has engaged COSAFA regarding joint referee training initiatives. The goal is to rapidly expand South Africa’s pool of trained officials to support domestic leagues once VAR is introduced.
Meanwhile, SAFA is scheduled to meet with FIFA today, 15 October 2026 for approval to kick start the training of the referees.
South Africa currently has only three certified match officials eligible to serve as main referees and VAR operators: Abongile Tom, Luxolo Badi, and Akhona Makalima.
SAFA confirmed that referee training is its top priority while a dedicated project team finalises procurement, technical requirements, and stakeholder engagements.
WHY VAR IMPLEMENTATION HAS TAKEN LONGER THAN ANTICIPATED
According to SAFA, full implementation requires meeting several crucial football governance requirements, including:
• FIFA approval.
• Referee certification and training.
• Competition integration.
• Broadcaster compatibility.
• Infrastructure readiness.
• Procurement compliance.
• Sustainability planning.
• Long-term operational funding.
An internal readiness assessment further highlighted key operational risks that must be resolved prior to launch, such as:
• Compatibility with existing broadcast environments.
• Connectivity reliability for remote VAR operations.
• Camera coverage requirements.
• Referee communication systems.
• Asset replacement and lifecycle planning.
• Ongoing maintenance and support costs.
In addition, these matters must be resolved before full deployment can proceed responsibly.
Furthermore, VAR trials are expected to take place in SAFA competitions—including the Hollywoodbets Super League and the ABC Motsepe playoffs—as well as select PSL cup competitions like the Nedbank Cup in 2027, subject to PSL approval.
WHAT MINISTER GAYTON MCKENZIE SAID TO THE MEDIA
“VAR is not an easy thing, but I will say this to you: VAR is going to happen, and VAR is busy happening. We have dates, not next year, but tomorrow [today]. So we are not going there tomorrow to shake hands; we are going to talk to FIFA so that we can move,” Minister McKenzie said while addressing members of the media in Pretoria.
Meanwhile, Jordaan added that: “A lot of injuries occur when the players think that the referee is not looking. So, there will be a 360 view of the match by the referee and VAR. This will help to protect the players and to modernise the game.
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