Mzansi Questions if Anele Mdoda's Lotto Post Is Proof the Draw Is Pre-Recorded

• Anele Mdoda posted about Friday's R120 million Lotto jackpot on Thursday night, sharing visuals from what appeared to be a live broadcast
• Sceptical fans accused the national lottery of being a scam after noticing she seemed to be tweeting while simultaneously appearing on screen
• Mdoda clapped back at the accusations, clarifying that someone had simply filmed her while she was on TV

South African broadcaster and host for the national lottery Anele Mdoda stirred up a Lotto controversy on Thursday, 20 August 2026, after posting about Friday's R120 million jackpot draw and triggering a wave of scam accusations from followers.

The post showed visuals of Draw Number 2673, with Lotto numbers 02, 22, 28, 35, 37, 48 and bonus ball 23 displayed on screen alongside messaging about the upcoming prize.

What caught fans off guard was the apparent contradiction: Mdoda seemed to be tweeting the post while simultaneously appearing on the TV screen in the footage. For many, that raised immediate red flags about whether the draws are pre-recorded rather than broadcast live.

Read also

Davido addresses leaked DMs to South African influencer: "Check the differences"

Anele Mdoda's pic stirs Lotto controversy

The picture was posted for the live Wednesday and Saturday Lotto draws airing on eTV, SABC 1, and SABC 2 under operator Sizekhaya, a gig that has already attracted public scrutiny given existing scepticism around lottery transparency in South Africa.

When the backlash erupted under her post, Mdoda was quick to address it directly. "This was someone who recorded me when I was on TV. Please don't lie," she wrote, shutting down the theory that the image proved anything about the broadcast being staged.

The explanations did little to calm the crowd. @nubian6 was among the first to raise the alarm, writing: "So this is pre-recorded because you are tweeting from one, watching yourself. The scam that this is is wild."

Mzansi reacts to Anele's post

@thembadubazana took an even harsher stance, saying:

"You will end up in hell for giving poor people false hope, knowing you are sharing the money among yourselves."

Read also

Rorisang Thandekiso explains viral wedding dress photos after Mzansi thinks she got married

Not everyone was convinced the outrage was warranted, though. @ob_objames pointed out a factual inconsistency in the complaints:

"But guys, these are not even Powerball numbers; she's talking R120m Powerball on Friday what the fuss? Maybe if the numbers were Powerball, I'd understand, but these are lotto numbers..... can we just think a little bit please."

@ADennic98960 kept it blunt:

"I mean, it's 2026; we all know this is a scam."

Meanwhile, @DimitrTsafendas brought a touch of humour to the chaos:

"Sizwe Dhlomo recently said if he played Lotto he would win it; I can't stop thinking about that yhoooo."

Source: Briefly News