20 South Africans to get fully paid Fifa World Cup trips: Here’s what it could cost per person

It seems Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie is not backing down on plans to take South Africans on an all-expenses-paid trip to the 2026 Fifa World Cup in Mexico City, with the final taking place in the United States.

McKenzie said, “Flights, accommodation, ground transport and daily allowances will be fully sponsored by two big companies”. While the department “will assist with visa facilitation and match ticket allocation”.

Well, whoever is footing the bill for 20 people will need to brace for a significant financial outlay, not forgetting the weaker rand, which will definitely push up the overall price of the trip.

In this article, we will compile prices found online for return flights, accommodation for two nights, and tickets for the first match on 11 June 2026. Where necessary, we will use Thursday’s dollar-rand exchange rate of R16.78 to $1.

20 lucky fans to attend Fifa World Cup

McKenzie has previously expressed his intention to take ordinary fans, not superfans such as Mama Joy, to the World Cup. At first, he spoke about taking 50 people, but now it seems he has decided to stick to a lower number of 20.

Before announcing the Lucky Fan Programme that will see the selection of the ‘lucky 20’, his department made a U-turn in a parliamentary reply when McKenzie was asked how much the trip would cost.

“The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture has not made any financial commitments in relation to the concept of supporting a group of South African supporters to attend the 2026 Fifa World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico,” read the reply.

“The minister’s statement in this regard was not intended to signal a return to government-funded ‘superfan’ travel initiatives. Rather, it was articulated as a potential nation-branding and cultural representation concept, aimed at showcasing South Africa’s vibrancy, diversity and youth identity on a global stage in support of Bafana Bafana.”

R21k for a Fifa World Cup ticket

According to the Fifa World Cup site, it appears tickets for the first match between Bafana Bafana and Mexico are sold out.

The ticket for Main Stand – Lower Tier -Block T1-26 – Row A -Seat 1 costs $1 300 (R21 869,25).

There are still tickets available for the match against Czechia for either $570 (R9 500) or $1 170 (R19 610).

McKenzie said the department will handle “match ticket allocation” – it is unclear whether they will pay for the tickets from the department’s budget or a sponsor will foot the bill for at least half a million rand for 20 tickets.

Return flights

Cheap Flights, a website that compares prices of flights, show that a flight from OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg to Mexico City takes more than 20 hours, with more than one stop.

Those attending the opening matches would need to leave South Africa at least two days before the games.

The site redirected us to Booking.com, which showed that a return flight leaving for Mexico on 9 June and returning to South Africa on 12 June would cost R21 527. This is when flying British Airways in economy.

The flight to Mexico will take at least 31 hours, with two stops in London and Miami. Coming back to South Africa will take 25 hours, with one stop in London.

Accommodation

Airbnb prices for accommodation close to the Guadalajara Stadium range from R5 000 for a one-bedroom to over R40 000 for a more luxurious one-bedroom hotel. This is for two nights.

All these places are within walking distance of the stadium.

Just taking into consideration the ticket, flights and accommodation, a South African would need to budget more than R45 000. This excludes ground transport, food prices, and the visa. Depending on one’s preference, the total cost of the trip can be much higher.

Do you think it is worth it?