South African superfan Joyce “Mama Joy” Chauke is heading to the 2026 Fifa World Cup, but this time not on the public purse.
Chauke has secured an ambassadorial role with an African sports brand which will sponsor her trip to the global showpiece set to take place in the US, Canada and Mexico.
In a post shared on X, Chauke expressed her excitement and gratitude, thanking the brand’s founder and ambassador, Masingita Masunga, as well as former social development minister Lindiwe Zulu for the opportunity.
Chauke’s new sponsorship comes amid public debate over government spending on “super fans”.
Sport, arts and culture minister Gayton McKenzie recently reignited outrage after revealing that the department had spent R700,000 to fund Chauke’s trip to the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France. The department previously disclosed it spent R1.3m to send Chauke and fellow superfan Botha Msila to the event.
The revelation followed a heated social media exchange between McKenzie and Chauke.
The dispute began when the minister said the department would no longer fund international travel for superfans.
Meanwhile, the department has also clarified that it has made no financial commitments to send supporters to the 2026 Fifa World Cup. During a recent parliamentary Q&A session, officials said any proposal to fund a group of fans was conceptual and unfunded.
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