National Lotteries Commission presents R65 million for Cricket World Cup infrastructure

October 2026

CAPE TOWN: The National Lotteries Commission (NLC) today presented Cricket South Africa (CSA) with R65,645,092.30 to upgrade stadium infrastructure and purchase ground equipment in preparation for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027 which will be hosted in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

The ceremonial cheque handover took place at YesPlay Newlands Cape Town.

The grant will be invested at nine venues across the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and North-West, covering permanent stadium infrastructure, broadcast and media facilities, and ground equipment.

Along with JB Marks Oval in Potchefstroom, the nine venues include all eight South African World Cup host venues: Newlands, Boland Park, St George’s Park, Buffalo Park, Mangaung Oval, Kingsmead, SuperSport Park and the Wanderers Stadium.

The upgrades at Newlands include a new secondary scoreboard, an ICC command centre, upgraded seating, refurbished players’ change rooms, a new sound and evacuation system and a new net structure. Buffalo Park in KuGompo City will gain a new media centre and broadcasting facility, while Boland Park in Paarl will build a new players’ and match officials’ area, together with hospitality facilities.

Equipment at all nine venues will include specialised mowers, tractors and pitch rollers.

CSA Chief Financial Officer, Tjaart van der Walt, said: “This investment from the National Lotteries Commission makes a lasting difference to cricket in South Africa.

“Every rand has been allocated to a specific, costed need at our venues, from broadcast facilities to seating and safety systems. These upgrades will help us deliver a world-class Cricket World Cup in 2027, and they will serve our players, provinces and supporters long after the final ball is bowled.

“We thank the NLC for its confidence in cricket and for recognising the role our stadiums play in their communities. We are committed to managing these funds with full accountability and to reporting transparently on their impact.”

National Lotteries Commissioner, Jodi Scholtz, said: “The grant funding allocated to CSA comes at a time when South Africa is preparing to co-host International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket World Cup 2027 with Zimbabwe and Namibia. We are excited and anticipate that this funding will unearth future cricket talent that will feature in major cricket tournaments including future World Cups.”

The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027 will be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, marking the tournament’s return to Africa for the first time since 2003.