Engineering a Governance-Driven Member-Only Ticketing System

Custom WordPress Infrastructure for JACASS in Johannesburg, South Africa

Client: Johannesburg Article Clerks Association (JACASS)
Location: Johannesburg (JHB), South Africa
Development Partner: New Perspective Design
Primary Liaison: Jason Hattingh

The Real Challenge: Enforcing Exclusivity at System Level

The Johannesburg Article Clerks Association (JACASS) hosts exclusive professional events for article clerks across approved member firms in South Africa.

These events are not public.

Historically, the association experienced recurring structural issues:

• Members purchasing tickets for friends outside their firm

• Non-member firms gaining access

• Firms exceeding allocated ticket quotas

• Informal ticket redistribution

• Manual reconciliation after oversubscription

Governance relied on trust.

JACASS required a system that enforces allocation fairness automatically, at code level — not at administrative discretion.

New Perspective Design, a Johannesburg-based custom WordPress development and SEO agency, was engaged to architect a secure, allocation-controlled ticketing system built for governance, scale, and long-term stability.

Why Standard Event Plugins Were Not Enough

Typical WordPress ticketing plugins are built for volume sales.

They allow:

• Global ticket limits

• Standard WooCommerce checkout

• Basic confirmation emails

They do not support:

• Domain-restricted purchasing

• Per-firm allocation caps

• Hierarchical limit enforcement (global + firm + individual)

• Encrypted ticket verification layers

• Optimised database querying under concurrency

• Automated lifecycle transition from event to archive

Even premium plugins required architectural extension.

This project required controlled PHP development, JavaScript validation, database restructuring, caching strategy implementation, and update-safe plugin extension.

“This was not a login-based restriction system. The enforcement logic operates at database level using domain validation, allocation tracking tables, encrypted hash verification, and Paystack-confirmed transaction binding. The system prevents oversubscription even under concurrent checkout attempts.” – Juan Preuyt

This falls within our Custom WordPress Development Services.

System Architecture Overview

The solution was engineered as a layered governance framework.

1. Domain-Based Access Control

Only approved work email domains may purchase tickets.

Approved domains include:

• @pwc.com

• @kpmg.co.za

• @deloitte.co.za

• @za.ey.com

• @bdo.co.za

• @mazars.co.za

• @rsmza.co.za

• @firstrand.co.za

If an unapproved domain attempts checkout, the system blocks the transaction immediately and displays a structured eligibility message.

This eliminated non-member access entirely.

2. Hierarchical Ticket Allocation Engine

Each event includes three enforcement layers:

• Global event ticket cap

• Per-firm allocation cap

• One-ticket-per-person rule

The system dynamically tracks domain-level purchases within the database.

If a firm allocation is reached, further purchases from that domain are blocked in real time.

No oversubscription. No manual correction. No post-event disputes.

Database Engineering & Scale Optimisation

This is where most builds fail quietly.

Every purchase attempt requires validation against:

• Global ticket count

• Firm-specific allocation

• Individual purchase history

Naively written MySQL queries become heavy under concurrency.

Instead of recalculating full datasets on every attempt, we:

• Optimised MySQL queries

• Reduced redundant joins

• Structured allocation tracking tables

• Implemented intelligent caching to reduce repeated heavy queries

• Controlled query execution to prevent checkout bottlenecks

This ensures performance stability at scale.

Governance cannot compromise speed.

This reflects our approach to Website Performance Optimisation

3. One-Ticket-Per-Person Enforcement

Each validated work email may purchase only one ticket per event.

Validation occurs before payment processing.

This prevents:

• Bulk buying

• Internal redistribution

• Informal resale

The logic ensures structural fairness between firms.

4. Secure Payment Processing via Paystack

The entire ticketing infrastructure is integrated with Paystack.

Critical safeguards include:

• Allocation validation before payment approval

• Ticket generation only after successful Paystack confirmation

• No EFT or manual payments permitted

• Direct URL checkout bypass prevention

• Transaction traceability

Financial processing is fully aligned with governance enforcement

5. Encrypted Verification Layer

After purchase, an additional protection layer is triggered.

• The purchaser receives an encrypted verification link

• The link contains a secure hash tied to server-side records

• Tickets cannot be guessed or manually reconstructed

• Access links expire appropriately

This prevents manipulation or URL guessing.

6. PDF Ticket Generation with Unique QR Code

Upon verification:

• A secure PDF ticket is generated

• Each ticket includes a unique QR code

• The QR links back to validated server-side records

• Entrance scanning confirms authenticity

No screenshot reuse. No duplication.

This creates a controlled physical-to-digital access bridge.

Event Lifecycle Automation

The system manages event states automatically.

When active:

• Event appears in the Event Loop

• Tickets are purchasable

• Allocation enforcement is active

When expired:

• Event transitions to the Gallery Loop

• Ticketing is disabled

• Gallery images and results text are displayed

• “Buy Tickets” becomes “View Gallery”

No manual restructuring required.

This preserves event history while maintaining structural clarity.

Post-Launch Governance Control

Governance evolves.

Member firms change. Allocations shift.

We engineered backend controls that allow JACASS to:

• Add or remove approved domains

• Adjust per-firm ticket caps

• Set allocation to zero for firms that exit

• Export event data per event to Excel

• Add event-specific form fields

A structured training walkthrough video was delivered to ensure long-term administrative independence.

Collaboration & Technical Alignment

Working closely with Jason Hattingh in Johannesburg ensured:

• Governance logic accurately reflected real-world allocation structures

• Technical decisions were transparent

• System architecture matched policy requirements

• Long-term manageability remained intact

Complex digital infrastructure requires aligned communication.

Results

JACASS now operates:

• A fully controlled member-only ticketing system

• Enforced per-firm allocation fairness

• Optimised MySQL query performance with caching

• Encrypted ticket verification

• Secure PDF QR code ticketing

• Seamless Paystack payment integration

• Automated event lifecycle transitions

• Scalable backend governance controls

The platform now reflects the professional standards expected of a leading association in South Africa.

About New Perspective Design

New Perspective Design is a Johannesburg-based web development and SEO agency specialising in:

• Custom WordPress systems

• Membership and portal infrastructure

• Governance-based digital architecture

• Performance optimisation

• Advanced SEO strategy

If your organisation requires structured access control, domain-restricted purchasing, or allocation-based digital systems, we engineer infrastructure — not just websites.