Minister Gayton McKenzie said all expenditure was approved through departmental processes and remained subject to the Public Finance Management Act, Treasury regulations and National Treasury cost-containment measures.
In a detailed statement, McKenzie said the expenditure had been openly disclosed in a parliamentary reply and insisted there was "nothing to hide".
He said the programme involved 151 participants travelling to Mexico and the United States, excluding service providers, with private sponsors covering part of the costs. A final reconciliation of sponsor contributions is still under way.
According to McKenzie, R7.86 million was spent on the official delegation, covering international travel, accommodation, local transport, travel insurance, daily allowances and other approved travel costs for government officials, logistics staff, communications teams, protocol officers and South African artists.
Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie has defended the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture's (DSAC) approximately R31 million expenditure on South Africa's FIFA World Cup 2026 engagement, dismissing claims that the spending was wasteful or improper.
