The National Lottery Operator, ITHUBA, handed over 100 000 re-usable face masks to the Department of Health as part of the PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE) donation to essential workers on Thursday 7 May 2020. 

The handover ceremony took place at the ITHUBA office in Sandton. In attendance were the Honorable Ministers of Health and the South African Police Services, Dr Zweli Mkhize and Bheki Cele, Deputy Minister of Health Dr Joseph Phaahla and representatives of other corporates who were also handing over PPE donations to the Department of Health. 

Minister Mkhize praised the donors for their contribution and encouraged continuous support from corporate South Africa, “We want to encourage others to come on board to give us support on a continuous basis”, said the Minister. He added that cloth masks will simplify the everyday lives of health workers during this time. “When we deal with masks (medical masks) in the context of a hospital, we dispose them as medical waste material in a specific, suitable method. We encourage people to use cloth masks because they don’t have to be disposed of immediately. We would like for our members to use cloth masks when they get into taxis and when they are on route between home and work. The medical masks can be used when they are at work.” added Minister Mkhize. 

Commenting on this, Group CEO of ITHUBA, Charmaine Mabuza, said ITHUBA is in full support of the government’s initiatives to battle the COVID-19 virus. “We recognise the efforts of the South African government to curb the spread of the virus and as a responsible corporate citizen, we are pleased to extend our support to the government. While these masks are essential, they are a token of our appreciation to essential workers that are in the frontline of the COVID-19 battle”, she said. 

Charmaine Mabuza is the winner of the Forbes Africa Social Impact Award 2020. She was recognised for, amongst other contributions, her role in the Eric and Charmaine Mabuza Foundation which has funded the tertiary education of young people from previously marginalized communities throughout South Africa. The Foundation has recently launched a food distribution initiative in Mpumalanga and Cape Town as means of aiding communities in distress during the COVID-19 lockdown, supporting over 5000 families. 

ITHUBA’s other initiatives include programmes such as: 

• The annual graduate programme which started in 2018. This year, the programme has employed 13 interns in the fields of Marketing, Finance, Public Relations, Facilities Management, ICT and Human Resources. 
• The Youth Enterprise Development Programme (YEDP) which empowers budding entrepreneurs to build sustainable, profitable businesses. 
• A women empowerment programme that identified 100 female retailers to develop, train and upskill in order to improve their business skills. 
• A media initiative to raise awareness and instill a sense of responsibility around preventing violence against women. 

Mabuza says as per ITHUBA’s ethos to offer long-lasting assistance, the masks donated have a life-span of a year. “We trust that these masks, which a have a life-span of a year, will make a significant difference in the Department’s endeavors to battle COVID-19”, said Mabuza. 

The National Lottery Operator, ITHUBA, complies with the regulations put in place by the government and its regulator, the National Lotteries Commission (NLC).

As such, ITHUBA has informed all participating retailers (stores) to cease the sale of all National Lottery tickets and validation of winning tickets. ITHUBA continues to urge players to play their favourite National Lottery games on-line on the following platforms:

• National Lottery website – nationallottery.co.za
• Mobile App which is easily downloadable on all smartphones – via the National lottery website and the App Store (iOS).
• On-line banking, namely FNB, Absa, Standard Bank and Nedbank.

These platforms remain accessible to players during COVID-19 lockdown.

We are in full support of the government’s efforts to curb the spread of the virus and we will take all steps necessary to safeguard the wellbeing of our players.

In light of the 21-day lockdown that is underway, the National Lottery Operator, ITHUBA has implemented effective measures in compliance with the Government’s interventions to curb the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

The health and safety of our players is of paramount importance to us. This is why we firmly urge all players to utilise our digital platforms to play their favourite National Lottery games. Our Mobile App is easily downloadable on all smartphones, and available on both the Play Store (android) and Apple Store (IOS). Players can also make use our up-to-date National Lottery website, and the digital channels of our banking partners namely Absa, FNB, Standard Bank and Nedbank.

As a technology driven company operating in a highly regulated industry, ITHUBA has always ensured that our state-of-the-art systems are solid, secure and crisis-management-ready. This includes equipping our staff to be able to work remotely and continue serving the nation, even during the lock-down period.

Our Call Centre is ready to assist first-time players in navigating the online realm with ease. Our Player Helpline remains operational and players can direct queries to 0800 484 822, Monday – Saturday from 06:00 – 23:00 and Sunday 06:00 – 21:00.

The COVID-19 virus will have a devastating impact in our communities. We encourage all South Africans to play their role by staying at home in order to curb the spread of the virus. We are in this together.

QUESTION: Can I still play National Lottery games during the COVID-19 lockdown period?

ANSWER:

Yes. National Lottery games will be available to play except for SPORTSTAKE as there are no fixtures due to games being cancelled. We encourage all of our players to make use of our digital platforms to play their favourite National Lottery games. Our Mobile App is easily downloadable on all smartphones. Players can also make use our up-to-date National Lottery website, and on-line platforms of our bank channel partners namely Absa, FNB, Nedbank and Standard Bank.

QUESTION: Can I collect my winnings from your offices during this lockdown period?

ANSWER:

In line with the nationwide lockdown, unfortunately no winners will be able to claim their winnings at any of our regional offices or at the ITHUBA Head office.  Please remember, all winning tickets have a life-span of 365 days before they expire so keep your tickets safe until you can claim.

Winnings are deposited directly into your on-line account up to R50,000 when you play on the National Lottery website, National lottery Mobile APP.

QUESTION: Can I still validate and claim my winnings at Lottery retailers during the lock down?

ANSWER:

In line with the nationwide lockdown request to remain at home, we advise that you retain your ticket, write your name and ID number at the back and claim it once the lockdown is over.

QUESTION: Will there still be draws for LOTTO, Powerball and DAILY LOTTO during the lockdown?

ANSWER:

Yes Draws will continue and will not be affected during lockdown. LOTTO and Powerball draws will continue to be televised as per norm – LOTTO on Wednesdays and Saturdays on SABC 2 at 20:57; and Powerball on Tuesdays and Fridays on eTV at 21:00. All Draw results are also available on the National Lottery website, National Lottery Mobile App and our social media pages. The integrity of our draws is of outmost importance, therefore, all draws will continue to be independently audited with oversight from our regulator the NLC.

QUESTION: If I play on-line, will I still receive my winnings?

ANSWER:

All on-line winning tickets below R50,000 will be paid as usual, directly into the player’s on-line wallet or bank account if playing via the website, National Lottery APP or banking channels. Claims above R50,000 will have to be postponed until after the lockdown period is over. Winners are encouraged to keep their tickets safe until you can visit an ITHUBA office to claim after the lockdown period.

QUESTION: Will the call centre be available to help customers and retailers during the lockdown?

ANSWER:

Yes our call centre is operating remotely from home. You can contact our Player Helpline on 0800 484 822, Monday – Saturday from 06:00 – 23:00 and Sunday 06:00 – 21:00 for queries or visit our social media pages. The Retailer Helpline will also be operational and retailers can direct queries to 0860 456 886, Monday – Saturday from 06:00 – 23:00 and Sunday 06:00 – 21:00

QUESTION: Will jackpots be affected during the lockdown period?

ANSWER:

The schedule and rules of the games will remain unaffected. Jackpots will continue to roll over until they are won except for DAILY LOTTO jackpots which will roll down if not won.

QUESTION: How is ITHUBA helping South Africans to fight COVID-19?

ANSWER:

ITHUBA is working closely its Regulator, the National Lotteries Commission, and the Department of Health in exploring how ITHUBA can support the well-being and sustainability of South Africans. As a company that values UBUNTU and the upliftment of communities, society’s most vulnerable remains a priority to ITHUBA. Communication on ITHUBA’s activities in this regard will be communicated in due course. 

The Corona Virus COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly shook global village. World leaders are making efforts to navigate and mitigate as much as possible, the effects of the virus outbreak. While that work is underway, as business and certainly as ITHUBA, the National Lottery Operator; we are very much aware that COVID-19 virus is a fast-moving concern with global economic and socio-political ramifications. The impact of the outbreak has had devastating effects on the global economy, communities and the most vulnerable in society.

We are very concerned about these sectors of the economy and their exposure to COVID-19, especially now as situation seems to worsen in South Africa and globally.

PROTECTING OUR EMPLOYEES

With regards to our employees and in the interest of their safety and well-being, ITHUBA has followed the precautionary hygiene guidelines as determined by the World Health Organisation, National Government including the Department of Health as well as other globally recognized health fraternities.

Pursuant to the calls for social distancing by President Cyril Ramaphosa, we have:

• Placed a travel ban on all international and domestic travel for our employees;
• Implemented a remote work-from-home policy for all employees where possible; and
• Equipped all ITHUBA offices with hand sanitizers

BUSINESS CONTINUITY

While we are mindful of the potential impact of COVID-19 on our business, particularly the supply chain, we continue to monitor developments and are creating contingency plans to mitigate the impact. Having assessed the impact on our supply chain, and assuming current conditions do not worsen, we do not currently anticipate a material impact on our operations. We are continually monitoring the situation and managing the impact on key critical projects. Our risk management team which consider employees, financial stress testing, supply chain, sales and regulatory compliance meets regularly to decisively and timeously make decisions in the context of COVID-19 to ensure business continuity and to manage the short, medium and long-term commercial impact on the business.

Keeping with the theme of social distancing, we have limited interactions as much as possible with the our suppliers to virtual meetings and continue to observe precautionary measures such as sanitizing for face-to-face interactions.

PRIORITISING OUR PLAYERS

It is important for our players to note that we remain committed to continue providing them with the lottery products that they have become accustomed to, with no disruptions to the schedule. The aforementioned precautionary measures, especially as it pertains to social distancing will be implemented to safeguard the wellbeing of staff, players and partners. For now, the National Lottery will continue to meet the needs of our players and retailers; ensuring that business operations remain stable.

We are fortunate that our products are available on online and digital platforms, such as on the SA National Lottery mobile APP and on the National Lottery website. Our channel partners namely Absa, FNB, Standard Bank and Nedbank also offer players the convenience of playing anywhere, anytime – 24/7.  While the platforms offer convenience, now more than ever we urge players to use these digital and online platforms and play their part to stop the spread of the virus.

We are however mindful that we still serve lottery playing communities who are still not included in the digital economy. Their safety from transmission is also a priority, which is the reason we have installed fixed and mobile hand sanitizers for their safety and well-being when visiting our offices.

Winners and players alike are encouraged to contact our call centre for any enquiries on 0800 484 822, Monday – Saturday from 06:00 – 23:00 and Sunday 06:00 – 21:00

RETAILERS

Some retailer operational hours may have changed. As retailers are paramount to the operations of the National Lottery, our Sales and Field staff have been deployed and will ensure that all retailers are well equipped to assist players. Our Retailer Helpline remains operational and retailers can direct queries to our Call Centre on 0860 456 886, Monday – Saturday from 06:00 – 23:00 and Sunday 6:00 – 21:00

UBUNTU

This is not the time to panic. We are a nation that has shown tremendous courage and resilience. Together we can overcome this pandemic, only if we stand together, get informed and do the right thing.  Let us live out Ubuntu. Let’s protect ourselves, our loved ones and our communities.

The winner of the R114 Million PowerBall jackpot is a 35-year-old woman from Soweto.

The occasional Lottery player said she decided to try her luck when she saw other people queuing to buy their tickets. “On my way from work, I saw a long que of people with betslips and I knew they must be pursuing something big, even though I had no idea of what the jackpot prize was. I became curious and searched for some coins in my bag to see if I could also play” said the winner.

The young winner, who manually selected her numbers, spent only R5 on her winning ticket that she bought at Victor and Son’s café in Roodepoort.

Speaking to ITHUBA, the winner said that she was renting a back room in Soweto. “Sometimes, I could not always afford rent so my brother would always assist me”.

The winner, who is a blue-collar worker, says she has been yearning to be fully involved in her children’s everyday life for years now. “My 4 children have been staying with my mother back at home, and I have never been able to spend as much time with them as I wish since I had to work in Johannesburg. I am mostly grateful that this money will give me an opportunity to raise my children, to be able to take them to school and have the pleasure of preparing a scrumptious meal that they can enjoy when they get back from school, something that I’ve been wishing for, for a long time.” she said.

The winner received trauma counselling and financial advice which ITHUBA offers to winners of R50 000 and above for free. “Judging by the amount of time the winner spent with both the psychologist and the financial advisor, we are confident that she will make sound financial decisions that will secure her family’s future for generations to come” said Busisiwe Msizi, head of corporate relations at ITHUBA.

ITHUBA treated the winner to a five-star hotel stay in Gauteng. “The winner was in complete disbelief when she saw her room. She said in Isizulu: ‘umbhede wami ngempela lona, omkhulu kangaka!’(which means, ‘is this big bed really mine’)” said Msizi.

The winner said in addition to buying her own house, she wants to build her mother a big house that she will comfortably live in. She would also like to buy herself a stylish car but first needs to learn how to drive and obtain her driver’s license as soon as possible.

“I can’t wait to drive past my ex-boyfriend in my new car. He will probably faint when he sees me waving at him. He broke up with me because I was broke and didn’t have a fancy job” she said jokingly.

The winner, who will not be returning to her job, says her new life has begun.

This PowerBall jackpot has rolled 19 times before it got hit. It is the 6^th highest jackpot to ever be won in the history of the South African National Lottery, the highest one being R232 Million that was won in February 2019.

A part time builder from Tembisa, Johannesburg has become the latest millionaire, winning the R8 217 004.70 Million PowerBall PLUS jackpot from the 29 November 2019 draw. He becomes one of 8 jackpot winners in the past two months, that saw ITHUBA pay over R285 Million in jackpot prizes across the various National Lottery games.

The father of three, says that he stopped playing the lottery a few years back after he thought that the lottery numbers were rigged and only certain people won. He only started playing again early this year, after seeing the record breaking jackpots ITHUBA was delivering and the number of players winning daily. He tried his luck once more and won R200 giving him faith that the lotto is in fact not rigged. Asked how he found out about his winnings, he said he watched the draw live on TV that night and recognised some of his numbers but was not sure if he had indeed won the jackpot. It was only three days later that he checked his ticket, which he had kept in his lucky jacket, that he realised he had indeed won the jackpot.

Thus far, the only person he has told about his winning is his wife, and he only told her after he came to the ITHUBA head office to verify his ticket. He is not planning on telling his children about his winning because he fears they might tell the rest of the community and expose him to unnecessary attention, but this coming Christmas, he says he will be able to afford to buy them presents they wish for.

He does not plan to make any drastic changes to his lifestyle and will continue working and living in Tembisa. He plans to invest a significant amount of his winnings and the rest he will use to renovate his house and take his family on holiday.

Busisiwe Msizi, Head of Corporate Relations at ITHUBA, says “We are extremely happy that we have managed to make another player a millionaire this festive season. What is more exciting is that, in the last two months, six players have become instant millionaires through our various games. This year alone, we have paid over R2.8 Billion in lottery winnings and this is a number that keeps growing daily. When we took over as the National Lottery operator, one of the promises we made was to make the lottery more exciting and create more jackpot winners. We are glad that we continue to make this possible for our players.”  

As per all winners of R50 000 and above, the jackpot winner received free financial advice and trauma counseling courtesy of ITHUBA.

The South African National Lottery Operator, ITHUBA, is excited to announce that over R2.5 Billion has been won across all the games, this year alone - another record breaking achievement by the third National Lottery Operator who took over lottery operations in 2015.

“We congratulate all the winners who have come forward to claim their winnings. As ITHUBA, we set out to change the lives of ordinary South Africans since taking over National Lottery operations and this momentous pay out is testament that we are positively contributing to the betterment of South Africans” says Khensani Mabuza, Corporate Relations Executive at ITHUBA.

The biggest jackpot ever to be paid in the history of the lottery in South Africa, and Africa at large, was the R232 Million PowerBall Jackpot that was won by a blue collar worker from Cape Town after 24 rollovers.

Other notable big jackpots came from PowerBall and PowerBall PLUS games, with a R141 Million win on 23^rd August 2019 and R70 Million on 3^rd September 2019, respectively, both these players have come forward to claim their winnings.

ITHUBA’s DAILY LOTTO game, is making significant contributions towards sales and produces winners daily. Since its launch in March 2019, DAILY LOTTO has paid out R 224,665,218.51 and that number continues to grow. Staying true to our promise of innovation and introducing unique Lottery games, ITHUBA has launched its second and newest game under their sports gaming portfolio, SPORTSTAKE 8 which has already paid out R1, 744,210.20. SPORTSTAKE 13 has paid over R89, 103,342.20 in winnings.

“When we were awarded the National Lottery license we promised to reinvigorate the National Lottery by optimising the player and winner experience. We have done this by offering life changing jackpots, introduced an exciting game portfolio and increased lottery access channels making it more convenient to play lottery games than ever before. Players can now use our National Lottery website, our mobile app and any of the four major banks to play the Lottery, this is over and above the Retail network” says Mabuza.  

A domestic worker from Pretoria has become the latest millionaire scooping R70 873 741.30 in the PowerBall PLUS draw of 3 September 2019.

The single mother of one, played the winning ticket at her local Shell Garage and spent only R7.50 using the manual selection method. Speaking to ITHUBA, she explained that she initially thought only four numbers that she played had won. It was only after she told her employer that she had won with four numbers that her employer made her aware that she had in fact won the big jackpot. She says she immediately rushed back to the Shell Garage where the cashier advised her to write her name and ID number on the back of her winning ticket and go to the offices of ITHUBA to claim her winnings.   

Sharing her life story, she says she was drowning in debt as she is the sole bread winner in her household. The night before the draw, she says she put her ticket in the Bible a friend had given her and went on her knees and prayed to God give her a sign that soon all her troubles will be over. Continuing her story, she says she could not sleep and again at 3am, she asked God to bless her and her family with good fortunes.

The winner has already resigned from her job as a domestic worker of over 30 years, and plans to use her winnings towards renovating the family house she shares with her daughter, grandchild and younger brother. She also plans to help her daughter with her tertiary fees so that she can be the first in their family to get a tertiary qualification. She is also planning to buy a five bedroom house in one of Pretoria’s leafy suburbs, take her family to Cape Town for the holidays and buy a Smart phone.  

Asked how she picked her winning numbers, she says she always plays the same numbers but sometimes picks numbers that are popular and drawn often. She plans to continue playing the lottery even though she has already won the jackpot and plans to keep her winning receipt in her Bible as a reminder to always thank God for her fortunes. After receiving free financial advice and trauma counselling as part of ITHUBA winners’ support programme, the winner plans to invest most her winnings and live off the interest from her investments.

The National Lottery Operator, ITHUBA, is excited to announce that it has paid over R233 Million worth of Jackpot winnings in just two weeks! This is the largest combined jackpots payout in the history of the National Lottery and was paid out to multiple winners. The payout is another record-breaker by the third National Lottery Operator who took over lottery operations in 2015.

The winnings came from the following games:

The biggest winners came from PowerBall and PowerBall PLUS jackpots, with a R141 Million win on 23^rd August and R70 Million on 3^rd September, respectively. The R141 Million winner recently made contact with ITHUBA to claim his winnings, whilst ITHUBA is eagerly awaiting the winner of the R70 Million PowerBall PLUS jackpot to come forward. The winning ticket was purchased at Shell Garage in Sinoville, Pretoria using a manual selection with a ticket wager of just R7.50.

“We trust that the winner will make contact with us in the next few days. If not, we will use all available media channels, including social media networks to raise awareness and hopefully reach the holder of the winning ticket”, said Khensani Mabuza, Corporate Relations Executive at ITHUBA.

Whilst the PowerBall and PowerBall PLUS Jackpots have paid out sizeable amounts, the LOTTO PLUS 1 jackpot of R9Million was also claimed on 27^th August 2019 by a single winner who purchased the winning ticket at Pick n Pay in Tseles Shopping Centre, Soweto.  

The newest game in the portfolio, DAILY LOTTO, is also making significant contributions towards sales and sees players winning daily since the jackpots don’t roll over but rather roll down to the next prize divisions should there be no winner in prize division 1. Since its launch in March 2019, DAILY LOTTO has paid out R207 548 890 to the time of going to press. “When ITHUBA was awarded the license to operate the National Lottery in 2015, we promised to reinvigorate the National Lottery and really optimise the gaming experience for our players. Our track record speaks for itself, ITHUBA has not only delivered on bigger jackpots but we’ve achieved a number of record breaking milestones and we are only half way through our license. To be able to pay over R233 Million to 28 winners in just under 2 weeks, is really something worth celebrating”, said Mabuza.