Three days after assuming responsibility for operating the National Lottery, Sizekhaya Holdings says it is encouraged by strong player participation, a positive public response to its refreshed lottery offering and the creation of the first National Lottery PowerBall multimillionaire under its stewardship.
A KwaZulu-Natal player won Tuesday night’s estimated R128 million PowerBall jackpot. The winning ticket was purchased at a retail store in the province.
While the transition to Sizekhaya from the previous operator has generally proceeded smoothly, a small number of players experienced difficulties purchasing tickets through certain banking and digital channels during the first days of operation.
The issues were identified quickly and are being resolved in partnership with banking and retail stakeholders.
“The vast majority of lottery transactions have been processed successfully and we continue to see steady improvement across all channels,” says Sizekhaya chief operatingoOfficer Fundi Sithebe.
Since assuming operation of the National Lottery on 1 June, Sizekhaya has activated a national retail network of more than 5 500 terminals, trained more than 10 000 retail personnel, expanded access through new retail and banking partnerships and successfully introduced a refreshed National Lottery offering that includes larger jackpots and improved odds for players.
The launch has also marked the return of live National Lottery draws to television screens, with Tuesday night’s PowerBall draw broadcast live on eTV.
“Response from players, retailers and partners has been overwhelmingly positive and demonstrates the enduring place that the National Lottery occupies in the lives of South Africans,” Sithebe says.
“To create a new multimillionaire in our first week of operating the National Lottery is a wonderful milestone. We are delighted for the winner and wish them every success as they begin what will undoubtedly be a remarkable new chapter in their life.”
She adds the first few days of operations have reinforced Sizekhaya’s confidence in the future of the National Lottery.
“Our first few days have delivered tremendous encouragement. We have seen strong participation, celebrated a life-changing jackpot winner and successfully launched our national operations.
“We remain confident, focused and excited about the future. This is only the beginning of an eight-year journey and we are committed to building a National Lottery that all South Africans can be proud of.”