Cricket South Africa (CSA) recorded a net loss of R440.6 million for the 2025/26 financial year ending April 30, 2026. The figures, presented at the September 2026 Annual General Meeting, confirm a deficit even as the national team remains the reigning World Test Champions after defeating Australia at Lord’s in June 2025.
CSA executives warned that the 2026/27 season is expected to remain in deficit. This outlook is projected despite a home schedule featuring major tours by Australia and England. CEO Pholetsi Moseki attributed the financial performance to shifts in international cricket monetization.
“The two tours that we’re hosting this year, of the so-called two of the big three, Australia and England — in the past, those tours would have generated so much money for us as an organization, but the broadcast landscape has changed,” Moseki said.
A primary indicator of these market changes is the one-season extension of broadcast rights with Sky Sports for the UK and Ireland. The deal, brokered by IMG, only covers through April 2027, providing less long-term commercial security than previous multi-year agreements. Analysis of the current cycle suggests the R440.6 million loss represents a paradox where peak on-field success coincides with reduced market power in broadcasting.
The board’s financial position has also been impacted by capital requirements for the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. CSA has invested over R300 million in stadium upgrades across eight host cities. Despite these costs, CSA President Rihan Richards expressed confidence in the organization’s strategic path.
“I’m very comfortable where we find ourselves. People have asked a lot of questions about World Cup 2027, and we have deliberately created a separate company to ensure independence of the process… We are very confident that the World Cup in 2027 will be a big success,” Richards stated.
While the SA20 league provided a R43 million dividend to the board, these gains were largely offset by macroeconomic factors, including currency exchange volatility. The Australia men‘s tour of South Africa began on September 24, 2026, and the summer schedule includes a December visit from England, with their Test side led by head coach Stephen Fleming.
