The National Lottery Ithuba has addressed “misleading and factually incorrect” information circulating on social media regarding the legitimacy of its winners.

In a statement released this week, Ithuba reassured South Africans that the National Lottery is conducted with the highest standards of fairness, transparency, and accountability.

“Every draw is conducted using certified systems, under strict oversight from independent auditors, and safeguarded through rigorous security protocols and surveillance,” the organization stated.

Ithuba emphasized that all lottery outcomes are completely random. No individual or organization including Ithuba itself can influence the results. For auditing and verification, records of all winners are maintained.

Recently, a social media claim suggested that all major winners since 2020 were customers of Absa or FNB, and that Ithuba had confirmed this for all 2022 Division 1st winners. “This is simply not true,” Ithuba responded.

“Winners come from across the country, via both retail outlets and digital platforms.” Ithuba provided examples of notable winners to illustrate the diversity of their winners:

• 2020: R114 million PowerBall Division 1 winner from a R5 ticket at Victor and Sons Café, Roodepoort.
• November 2021: R50 million PowerBall PLUS winner from a Caltex in Groblersdal.
• 11 February 2022: R167 million PowerBall winner at Superspar Lifestyle Ballito, KwaZulu-Natal.
• 11 March 2022: R55 million PowerBall winner from Mankweng, Polokwane.
• 20 May 2022: R126 million PowerBall ticket bought at Superspar Florida Market, Johannesburg.
• May 2023: Over R20 million Lotto Plus 1 prize via the Standard Bank app.
• 17 November 2023: Division 1 PowerBall winner at a Boxer Super Store in Port Elizabeth.
• 31 May 2024: R70 million PowerBall ticket from Plus Benoni Mexican, Benoni.
• May 2024: R16 million Lotto jackpot won by a shop assistant from Limpopo using the Capitec app.

Ithuba explained that FNB and Absa were the first banks to offer National Lottery purchases through their apps when Ithuba took over operations in 2015. “FNB already provided National Lottery purchases on its banking platform at that time,” the statement noted.

Today, 60% of lottery ticket sales occur via banking platforms, which statistically increases the likelihood of winners from these early-adopting banks.

Ithuba concluded by urging the public to rely on verified sources and enjoy the Lottery with confidence. “Winners come from every corner of the country from rural villages to large cities across both retail and digital platforms. We celebrate their stories because they represent the heart of why the Lottery exists and creating opportunities and changing lives.”

Since 2015, Ithuba has contributed over R15.4 billion to the National Lotteries Distribution Trust Fund (NLDTF), supporting social development and community projects nationwide.