Story by Mthokozisi Dube
THE Castle Lager Premier Soccer League is moving with speed to embrace an e-ticketing system meant to counter inconvenience associated with the purchase of match day tickets on the day.
Following a successful phase one pilot during a fully subscribed match between MWOS and Scotland at Ngoni Stadium recently, the PSL is now rolling out phase two, which includes online ticket sales and a digital payment system.
Rodwell Thabe, Acting Chief Executive Officer of the PSL, outlined the progression of the initiative.
“The PSL recently embarked on an e-ticketing system that is meant to be convenient for our stakeholders to be able to access all our events. Currently, the e-ticketing system is in its pilot or test stage. We have said we cannot roll out the entire programme to the entire country at once. So we have started the test phase at Ngoni Stadium since the facility underwent a lot of renovations. With phase one which was the pre-sell of QR-coded tickets I am happy to announce that for the first time in Zim in many years, we had a sold-out match between MWOS and Scotland. The event went on successfully and right now we have rolled out phase two which integrates the online sell and online payment system to be able to purchase tickets from the comfort of their own homes by buying it on their phone or online,” he said.
The pilot is currently being tested at Ngoni Stadium, a venue selected due to its recent renovations, making it more compatible with information communication technology (ICT) standards required for e-ticketing.
Thabe noted that full national rollout would depend on the success of this testing phase, and expressed confidence in the system’s potential to transform how fans interact with local football.
“Once phase two is proven successful, we will formally write to stadium owners urging them to upgrade their facilities to support the system. This is a step toward aligning Zimbabwean football with global standards,” he added.
E-ticketing is already widely adopted in international leagues, offering faster, safer, and more transparent access to football events.
In Zimbabwe, it is expected to ease congestion, eliminate ticket fraud, and reduce long queues associated with physical ticket sales on match days.
