National Lottery dispels ‘misinformation’ on winners

National Lottery dispels ‘misinformation’ on winners

Zuko Komisa

• The National Lottery operator, ITHUBA, has released a statement to debunk social media rumours that all major lottery winners since 2020 have exclusively used Absa or FNB accounts.

• The company provided multiple examples of big winners from various banks, retail outlets, and provinces to prove the widespread nature of its winners.

• ITHUBA’s statement aims to reassure the public of the lottery’s commitment to fairness, transparency, and the integrity of its draws, which are audited and secure.

ITHUBA, the operator of the South African National Lottery, has issued a statement to counter “misleading and factually incorrect information” circulating on social media regarding the integrity of its draws and the legitimacy of its winners.

The company firmly stated that it operates with the “highest levels of fairness, transparency, and accountability,” ensuring that winners are determined purely by chance.

The statement directly addressed the widely circulated claim that all major lottery winners since 2020 have exclusively used Absa or FNB, and that ITHUBA had confirmed this. The lottery operator categorically denied this assertion, providing a list of winners from various retail and digital channels to prove the geographical and transactional diversity of its players. Examples cited include:

• A R114 million PowerBall prize in 2020 won from a ticket bought at Victor and Sons Cafe in Roodepoort.
• A R50 million PowerBall PLUS winner in 2021 from a Caltex filling station in Groblersdal.
• A R70 million PowerBall winner in 2024 from Plus Benoni Mexican in Benoni.
• A R20 million Lotto Plus 1 prize in 2023 won via the Standard Bank app.
• A R16 million Lotto jackpot in 2024 won by a Limpopo shop assistant using the Capitec banking app.