“It Favours the Connected”: Lotto Win Brings Joy to Pensioner After Bagging R13m, SA Divided

• A pensioner from the Western Cape became a millionaire overnight after winning big in the Lotto Plus 1 jackpot on April 23, 2025
• A post, celebrating the woman's win, was also shared on the X social media platform, and a local publication shared her plans for her winnings
• The elderly woman purchased her ticket using a manual selection in the Southern suburbs of Cape Town on the Cape Flats

Sometimes life surprises you when you least expect it. A pensioner from the Western Cape bagged a life-changing fortune from the Lotto and plans to share the joy by giving back to others.

The pensioner's winnings were shared on the #PhandaPushaPlay X account and the local publication TimesLive, which reported that the multi-millionaire played with only R40, the old-school way.

The Lotto winner's lucky moment

The pensioner who, according to the above-mentioned local publication, loves gardening, shared that she realised she won while watching the live draw, matching every single number. She added that she could not believe what she was seeing, as the moment felt like a dream. The first person the woman from Grassy Park told after realising she matched every single number was her son, who was happy to hear the news.

The publication further shared that she planned to invest her winnings so that she could live financially stress-free and donate some to the needy. #PhandaPushaPlay revealed that the total winnings were R13,314,022.

See X post below:

Ithuba announces R110M Powerball jackpot winner

The proud National Lottery operator, Ithuba, was happy to announce that the R110 million PowerBall Jackpot winner, a local healthcare worker, finally came forward to claim the riches. The person is said to have played the Quick Pick option through the FNB banking app, with only R30 on April 8, 2025

The operator shared that the healthcare worker shared that she saw a bank notification of her winnings, but didn't take note of it until she was bombarded by calls from an 087-prefix number, from the bank.

Empowering winners with lasting support

Ithuba has built a robust, no-cost support system to help jackpot winners manage sudden wealth responsibly and sustainably. From the moment a cheque is handed over, winners gain access to trauma counselling led by qualified psychologists who specialise in life transitions. These sessions give winners a confidential space to process shock, anxiety or isolation that often accompanies a multi-million-rand windfall.

"Crucially, these services remain available to winners for as long as needed. Ithuba's dedicated and discreet Winner Services team is always accessible, providing ongoing support and guidance throughout every stage of the winner’s journey."

Parallel to emotional support, Ithuba connects winners with top-tier financial advisors from reputable institutions. These experts deliver personalised guidance on investment planning, risk management, property and real estate decisions, education-fund creation, and estate and legacy planning. By automating goal-setting and providing ongoing consultations, the programme ensures winners can preserve capital and protect future generations. Participation is voluntary yet highly popular, with roughly 90% of winners opting in.

Ithuba shared the story of a recent R110 million PowerBall winner who embraced their counselling and financial planning services entirely. She expressed that her aim is for the jackpot to transform her life and that of her children and grandchildren, and she’s convinced that with expert guidance, she can create a legacy that endures.

Mzansi comments on the jackpot-winning post

The post on X received thousands of views from Mzansi hopefuls. Some predicted they'd be next in line to win; others felt that the whole concept was a scam, saying it was only those with connections who won the millions.

User @tshinisamvula said:

"People need to wake up and smell the coffee. This thing is a tender and it favours the connected only."

User @15chamangwiza shared:

"Congratulations, I'm the next jackpot winner."

3 Briefly News articles about Lottery winners

• An art teacher's life changed overnight in October 2024, when she won a staggering R43.1M by playing the PowerBall through her banking app.
• A lucky Lotto player won the second-highest jackpot in the country's history, R103 million, after playing via the Capitec banking app.
• A dad became another banking app jackpot winner after matching numbers that scored him the R77 million PowerBall jackpot, playing through the Nedbank app.

Hilary Sekgota, human interest head of desk at Briefly News, contributed to this article.

Source: Briefly News