The National Lotteries Commission has directed more than R65 million toward preparations for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027, placing the regulator alongside provincial government in underwriting both the tournament and its longer-term legacy. The grant was handed over to Cricket South Africa at YesPlay Newlands in Cape Town on Wednesday, 7 October 2027, and formally welcomed by Western Cape Provincial Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport, Ricardo Mackenzie.
The allocation sits within a broader pattern of public investment in the province’s cricket infrastructure. In April this year, the Western Cape Government committed R15 million to cricket facilities, split equally between Western Province Cricket Association and Cricket Boland, the home unions of the province’s two World Cup venues, Newlands and Boland Park in Paarl. Each body received R7.5 million. The NLC’s contribution now builds on that provincial outlay, extending support well beyond the two host grounds.
According to the NLC, the funding will finance stadium infrastructure upgrades across six World Cup host provinces, alongside cricket development and legacy projects in all nine provinces. Those projects are intended to reach young people, community club cricket, coaches, and Cricket South Africa’s network of 70 hubs.
Minister Mackenzie framed both rounds of spending in terms of what endures once the tournament closes. “When we invested R15 million earlier this year, we were investing in what remains after the tournament is over,” he said. “Together, we are building infrastructure that will welcome the world in 2027 while creating opportunities for our young people and communities for years to come. The World Cup will last seven weeks, but its legacy must last a generation.” He also thanked NLC Commissioner Jodi Scholtz and the Commission for what he described as their generosity, and credited Cricket South Africa and Western Province Cricket Association with their stewardship of the game.
Meanwhile, the handover formed part of a working visit by the NLC to the Western Cape from 5 to 8 October, hosted by Minister Mackenzie and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport. The stated purpose was to identify opportunities to strengthen investment and collective impact in sport, arts and culture across the province, signalling an ongoing working relationship between the two funding authorities.
For Cricket South Africa, the investment carries obligations that extend past the tournament itself. Chief Financial Officer Tjaart van der Walt said the money would support preparations for the event and beyond 2027. “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 last over,” he said.
The tournament itself is co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia and runs from 2 October to 21 November 2027. Newlands has been designated to stage the opening game and the first semi-final, giving the province a prominent institutional role in the event’s delivery.
Beyond stadium spending, the department is examining how the province’s 373 public libraries could serve as access points where young people can read and learn about cricket, an initiative that links the sporting investment to existing public infrastructure.
Minister Mackenzie also drew on personal experience to make the case for broad access. He recalled travelling by train to Newlands as a young boy to watch the Springboks play Romania at the 1995 Rugby World Cup. “It opened my eyes to a world far bigger than the one I knew, and it shaped my belief that people need access to opportunity to succeed,” he said. “I am not here because I am better than anyone. I had access to opportunity, and I want more young people to discover and fall in love with this game, long after the final ball has been bowled.”
Media enquiries can be directed to Simone Carter, Media Liaison Officer in the office of the Provincial Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport.