By Dylan Bettencourt
- Thousands of supporters couldn’t get tickets to the Nedbank Cup final after Open Tickets crashed under pressure.
- The ticket seller, created to fight fake tickets, blamed a rush of buyers and promised to fix the system.
Thousands of football fans hoping to watch the Nedbank Cup final between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates were left empty-handed on Monday.
Supporters rushed online when tickets for the final at Moses Mabhida Stadium went on sale, but the Open Tickets platform couldn’t handle it.
Fans either saw error messages or were told the system had crashed.
Open Tickets blamed “unprecedented demand”, saying the traffic increase brought down their platform.
In a statement on Tuesday, they said: “We regret the disruption experienced by fans during the ticket sales for the 2025 Nedbank Cup final.”
The company promised to fix the problem and said updates would follow through their official channels. They also said they would contact customers about refunds or digital replacements.
Open Tickets only launched in February through Stadium Management SA. It was meant to stop fake ticket scams and is now the official seller for Chiefs and Pirates home matches at FNB and Orlando Stadiums.
The change came after an incident in February during a Soweto Derby, when more than 110,000 people tried to get into FNB Stadium despite only 87,000 tickets being sold.
Reports said 20,000 fans were stuck outside the venue, raising fears of a stampede.
At the time, SMSA chief executive Bertie Grobbelaar blamed fake tickets, saying fraudsters had found ways around the old system, Ticketpro. That’s when Open Tickets took over to tighten security.
The new vendor also sells tickets for rugby and entertainment events.
Pictured above: Orlando Pirates taking on Kaizer Chiefs.
Image source: Orlando Pirates
