• Ticketmaster is acquiring South African ticketing company Quicket.
• The US company wants to expand its presence in Africa.
• That said, the ticketing giant and its parent company are under fire from US authorities for alleged anti-competitive behaviour and a massive data leak last month.
• For more financial news, go to the News24 Business front page.

Ticketmaster, the biggest ticket marketplace in the world, is acquiring South African ticketing company Quicket to increase its footprint in Africa.

Ticketmaster announced the deal, for an undisclosed sum, on Wednesday.

Founded in the 1970s, the US-based Ticketmaster is a pioneer in the ticketing industry. It developed early software for digital ticketing systems. The company now has a huge footprint, operating in over 35 regions across the world.

Quicket was launched in 2011 by James Tagg, Mike Kennedy and James Hedley, who were partners in a web development business in Cape Town. It is currently expanding its operations in Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Zambia, and Botswana.

On Wednesday, Tagg, Quicket's managing director, said the deal was a "landmark moment" for connecting African artists with a global audience.

Ticketmaster launched a designated site in South Africa in 2022.

While Quicket will continue to operate as a standalone business unit, Ticketmaster said that the partnership would allow event organisers and customers to benefit from Quicket’s local expertise on the continent and Ticketmaster’s global reach.

Ticketmaster said the deal would accelerate the rollout of digital technologies such as secure encrypted mobile tickets in Africa.

Ticketmaster president, Mark Yovich, said the deal would be a boost for live events in Africa.

"Partnering with Quicket will supercharge our mission to elevate Africa’s dynamic live events to the global spotlight they truly deserve. Together, we are igniting a new era of unparalleled growth for African entertainment," said Yovich.

Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation Entertainment (LNE), are currently in the firing line of US authorities. The US Department of Justice filed a suit against the companies in May alleging that LNE "unlawfully exercises its monopoly power" in the live concert ecosystem in violation of competition rules. Among the relief being sought by the Department of Justice is the forced sale of Ticketmaster by LNE.

Ticketmaster is also facing scrutiny over its cybersecurity practices after it admitted to "unauthorised activity" on its database last month. This after a group of hackers posted the personal information of 560 million customers online.

Ticketmaster has also been under pressure from Swifties in recent years, with its site crashing in the past from people attempting to secure tickets for the Taylor Swift Eras Tour.

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