Johannesburg — The South African Football Association (SAFA) is preparing to test Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology in the semi-finals of the Nedbank Cup, as part of its phased rollout strategy ahead of full implementation in the 2026–27 season.
VAR has long been promised in South African football. Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie has backed the project with a R20 million allocation from Treasury to kickstart the rollout.
According to SAFA’s VAR project lead, Daniel Bennett, the semi-finals present an ideal testing ground. The matches are high-stakes, but they also come with a more manageable rollout risk compared to a full league rollout.
Bennett recently visited Spain to inspect a full VAR operation, meeting with Quality Media — one of the leading providers SAFA is evaluating. SAFA is reportedly considering four potential service providers, including Quality Media, Hawkeye Innovations, MediaPro (Portugal), and Rigour (China).
But the path to full VAR adoption is not without hurdles. SAFA’s head of refereeing, Abdul Ebrahim, has warned that while a limited rollout in cup matches is feasible, implementing VAR across the full PSL season remains difficult.
Training remains a key obstacle. SAFA says there are not yet enough fully trained VAR officials to support every match in the league.
The push for VAR comes amid growing frustration with refereeing decisions in South African football. For example, in the Nedbank Cup semifinals DJ Pots publicly criticised a key decision that favoured Kaizer Chiefs, arguing that it could have been overturned with VAR.
For now, SAFA’s strategy is cautious but ambitious: start with cup games, build experience, and expand. If all goes to plan, fans could see VAR in more matches by the 2026–27 season.
