VAR wheels in motion as SAFA confirms R20 million

SAFA has confirmed a major update on the timeline for the VAR implementation in the PSL, with a handsome amount of money received from government.

With the 2025/26 season set to come to an end, debates have reached fever pitch over what the 2026/27 campaign could bring with it.

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One of the more anticipated upgrades for the PSL is the implementation of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system after Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, boldly declared that his department had handed SAFA the necessary financial support to implement the system.

SAFA Chairperson of the Finance Committee, Mxolisi Sibham, echoed the Minister’s sentiments and confirmed that indeed the federation had made great strides in its bid to have VAR in use during the 2025/26 season.

"Yes, the government has been very generous with us," confirmed Sibham, speaking at a media briefing on Sunday.

"They’ve given us R20 million to implement VAR. At the current NEC meeting, we are going to finalise approval of that budget so we can continue with the work.

"The work started seven months ago, so it’s not that we are only starting now.

"Fortunately, the people who will be in charge of it indicated they are targeting the start of next season for VAR to be operational."

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There remain major question marks around the exact implementation strategies of the system and the timeline, particularly in terms of South Africa’s stadium infrastructure.

However, it is worth noting that in Africa, already four nations are using the VAR system in their domestic leagues, namely Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia, and Mauritania.