After the first four days of the last sales phase for the 2010 Fifa World Cup, a total of 145 000 tickets were sold. By noon Sunday, 82 000 tickets had been sold via First National Bank (FNB) branches, 33 000 via the Web site and call centre, and 30 000 via the Fifa Ticketing Centres.
According to the Fifa media team, ticket sales moved more smoothly over the weekend than they did the Thursday before. The system's improved speed helped fast-track the transactions, the organisation says.
On Thursday, the integrated ticketing system which manages all channels, including ticketing centres, FNB branches, the Web site and the call centre broke down continually when over-the-counter sales commenced. Fifa says it is improving the system to avoid future inconveniences.
James Byrom, SA project ticketing manager for Match, Fifa's official ticketing service provider, says: “There was a massive demand for tickets, which we are delighted with. We experienced some delays in issuing tickets at the outset, but we have been working on improving the response time of the system.”
He adds that with the improvements Match has already made, the process is getting quicker, and it is confident this will continue to improve as sales continue.
Due to the high demand, there are currently no tickets available for any matches in Durban or Cape Town, with only a few category one and two tickets remaining for matches in Johannesburg and Tshwane/Pretoria, says Fifa.
Fifa advises customers not to expect tickets for these matches to be available at Shoprite/Checkers stores today. “In case of the release of further tickets for these venues, fans will be informed beforehand to give customers the chance to buy them over the counter,” it adds.
Still struggling
However, Fifa still has the challenge of selling 355 000 in less than eight weeks leading up to the tournament kick-off. It has been forced to offer cheaper tickets which were initially 'sold out' to ensure all 11 World Cup stadiums are full to capacity.
Sales remain sluggish for games being held in smaller host cities such as Rustenberg, Polokwane and Nelspruit. Fifa says category four tickets, the cheapest tickets designed specifically for locals, are still available. These tickets cost R140, and are still available for matches in Port Elizabeth, Polokwane, Nelspruit and Rustenburg.
This morning, Fifa opened 18 additional ticket sales points at Shoprite/Checkers stores. The international organiser says customers need to bring their ID and are entitled to purchase up to 10 tickets per match.
The association had earlier agreed to drop a ruling that tickets could only be bought online or through a ballot, and allowed sales over the counter at ticket centres, in shopping malls, and at some popular supermarkets.
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