Today, choosing a seat, paying online and getting a digital ticket feels completely ordinary. But the underlying business idea — computerising ticket distribution — is far older than most people assume, and South Africa was experimenting with it decades before today's digital ticketing economy existed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who founded Computicket?
Percy Tucker, who established the company in Benoni, Gauteng, in 1971.
How did Computicket's system work at the time?
It used computer technology, unusual for the era, to manage and sell tickets nationally rather than relying purely on manual box-office sales.
Why is this considered ahead of its time?
Computers in 1971 bore no resemblance to today's accessible technology, making a nationally deployed computerised consumer ticketing system a genuinely forward-looking business idea.