For the first time in South African sport, all tickets will be bar-coded. “ The solution is based on a unique copy protected 2-dimensional barcode ,” says Ernest Cockcroft, Director of Dex Security Solutions. “ This makes it extremely difficult to fraudulently copy or create a ticket .”

The barcode contains critical information such as event details, gate control parameters, ticket numbers etc. which are automatically scanned and verified by the readers that control the turnstiles. The database generated keeps track of the movement of customers and makes “passing back” tickets impossible.

“ We had to design our own turnstiles and readers, as off the shelf products were not found anywhere in the world, ” says Cockcroft. He continues, “ The imaging heads were also locally modified in order to decode the copy-protected symbology, a worldwide DexData patent .”

The SafeVenue system will be integrated with the sophisticated Dimension Data Ticketing System originally developed for the United Cricket Board of South Africa.

It is currently being installed at Supersport Park Centurion, the North West Stadium in Potchefstroom and Kingsmead in Durban for all matches from the start of the coming season. By the time of the Australian tour to South Africa in April next year, all of the South African World Cup venues will be online.

Security and safety concerns at sports events are an issue worldwide. The SafeVenue system offers paying spectators maximum protection, while minimizing the dangers – both physical and financial – that ticket fraud may pose. According to Cockcroft, “ Already, considerable interest has been expressed overseas. As we speak our Brazilian office is in consultation with the Brazilian Soccer Federation and busy defining their requirements ” Clearly, SafeVenue is an idea that is set to score around the world.

More about
Dex SafeVenue
Dex Africa Projects

Date: Novembert 2002