R82.2 million LIV Golf fee: Gayton McKenzie faces questions over benefits for poor communities

• The LIV Golf South Africa tournament took place at Steyn City in Johannesburg from 19 to 22 March 2026, with questions now focusing on the public money spent to secure the event
• The department says the licence fee was separate from the tournament’s operational expenses and was not channelled into community-development programmes
• A detailed close-out report is expected in November 2026, with questions remaining about the event’s economic benefits for township and rural communities

South Africa’s Department of Sport, Arts and Culture paid R82.2 million to secure the rights to host one LIV Golf tournament, Minister Gayton McKenzie has confirmed. The payment covered the licence fee for the LIV Golf South Africa event held at Steyn City, Johannesburg, from 19 to 22 March 2026.

The disclosure came in response to a parliamentary question from National Assembly member Gift Motaung, who sought information about the tournament’s benefits, particularly for disadvantaged township and rural communities.

McKenzie said the department paid US$5 million (approximately R82.2 million) to LIV Golf Events. He said the Treasury approved the payment through a budget reallocation.

“The licence fee should be distinguished from other costs associated with staging the event,” McKenzie said, according to Newsday.

Those additional expenses included prize money, production and operational costs, hospitality, marketing, security, travel and accommodation.

The minister also clarified that the licence payment was not intended to finance community projects.

“No portion of it was allocated to, or disbursed through, community-development programmes,” he said.

LIV Golf South Africa’s benefits for local communities

McKenzie said the economic benefits for rural communities would come from commercial activity generated by the tournament rather than from the licence fee itself.

However, the department does not hold records detailing those benefits because LIV Golf made the appointments associated with delivering the event.

This leaves the scale of the tournament’s direct benefits for local communities to be established through further documentation and assessment.

LIV Golf impact report due in November

Parliament is due to receive a final report on LIV Golf South Africa by 22 November 2026, outlining the tournament’s economic impact and the benefits recorded for local communities.

McKenzie sought more time on 7 October 2026, explaining that the Department of Tourism and LIV Golf Events needed additional time to verify and assemble the relevant records. The submission will include financial and contractual documents, with confirmed benefits distinguished from projected economic gains.

The minister also acknowledged that his department did not arrange an independent impact assessment before the event. LIV Golf commissioned its own economic study, while Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Sport, Arts and Culture has resolved to carry out an independent assessment.

The findings are expected to help establish the tournament's economic value and how much of that activity benefited township and rural communities.

Gary Player’s parachute arrival at LIV Golf South Africa

Briefly News previously reported that golfing legend Gary Player stunned spectators at LIV Golf South Africa when he parachuted into Steyn City on the tournament’s final day on Sunday, 22 March 2026, carrying the South African flag.

The event also featured a thrilling playoff between Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm, with DeChambeau emerging victorious.

Source: Briefly News