Gayton McKenzie faced criticism after announcing funding for two music groups. The Department of Sports, Arts and Culture will fund trips for Mi Casa and Mafikizolo. The artists will join Lucky Fan competition winners traveling to Mexico.
They will watch Bafana Bafana’s opening match in the tournament. The FIFA World Cup runs from 11 June to 19 July. Mexico, Canada, and the United States will host the tournament.
Ekhaya Centre and Cultural Promotion
McKenzie outlined the fan initiative during a media briefing this week. He confirmed a delegation would travel to Mexico for the opening match. The department will collaborate with Brand South Africa and SA Tourism. They will also create an activation space called the Ekhaya Centre.
This space will host fans, journalists, influencers, and industry professionals. It will promote South African culture and encourage engagement. Gayton said, “Ekhaya will be a place to watch football.
“It will be a place to see South African art, to hear South African music, to eat South African food. It will be a media centre for the journalists covering Bafana’s campaign. It will be a fan park and a fan engagement space. It will be a venue for business and investment networking – because when our flag is flying, our economy should be working alongside it.”
He added, “To those South African journalists, podcasters, and influencers who will go with us: you are not going to Mexico to cover a holiday. You are going to render a service to your country. You are going to tell South Africans, in their own voices and on their own platforms. What their players are doing on the world stage. That role is not always adequately recognised in this country, and it should be”.
The initiative will also include chefs and performers for guests. Two confirmed acts are Mi Casa and Mafikizolo.
He added: “When we take Mafikizolo and Mi Casa to the Americas, we are not taking background music. We are taking the soundtrack of modern South Africa”.
Lucky Fan Competition and Public Reaction
The delegation will include 20 winners from the Lucky Fan competition. These fans will attend the opening match against Mexico. The competition is currently open to applicants.
It will close on 1 May at 17:00.
McKenzie will announce the winners on 5 May 2026.
Applicants must submit a 30-second video explaining their support. They must also complete a form and upload their entry online. Each person may submit only one entry.
However, the announcement sparked strong public criticism online. Many users accused the minister of wasting taxpayer money.
One user, @phume22, tweeted: “Using taxpayers’ money to take artists to the World Cup is diabolical. What’s Mafikozolo and Micasa’s affiliation to soccer anyway? 
Another, @MbekezeliMB added: “There is no plan at the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture. It’s just vibes. At the same time that Mafikizolo and Mi Casa will be in America on a taxpayer-funded holiday in June, the National Arts Festival will be scraping by with barely any funding to support it.
A third, @Malatjie_, posted: “There is absolutely no need to take artists to the World Cup. It is an unnecessary expense”.
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