R100 million Lotto winner collects prize, pledges funds for youth education | News24

A mining entrepreneur is R100 million richer after winning the LOTTO Jackpot on 6 May.

The winner of the remarkable R100,644,721.10 LOTTO jackpot held on Wednesday, 6 May, has officially come forward to claim his winnings.

The winning ticket was purchased via Quick Pick at Checkers Hyper Sandton City, making this one of the biggest National Lottery jackpots won in South Africa this year, and currently the third highest jackpot won in 2026.

The winner, an entrepreneur in the mining sector, shared that he has been faithfully playing PowerBall every Tuesday and Friday for the past two years. His journey with the game became especially meaningful after narrowly missing the jackpot during the early months of playing.

“Within four months of playing regularly, I won in the second division of PowerBall and missed the jackpot by just one number. After that moment, I told myself that one day I would win, and I kept playing consistently,” he shared.

The winner shared that he had no idea he had become a multi-millionaire until he came across media reports about ITHUBA, the operator of the National Lottery, searching for the winner of the massive jackpot.

“When I saw where the winning ticket was bought, I instantly had a feeling that I could be sitting on a multi-million-rand ticket and immediately checked my numbers,” he said.

While the win will undoubtedly transform his family’s future, the winner says his greatest joy comes from the opportunity to uplift others.

When asked what the very first thing he plans to do after becoming a multi-millionaire was, the winner joked and said: “I’m going to buy my family takeaway burgers.”

Despite the humour and excitement surrounding the win, the businessman spoke passionately about the deeper purpose behind his newfound wealth.

“I’m blessed to already have work that sustains me through my business. This win gives me an opportunity to help others, something I have always wished to do. I will use a portion of my winnings to fund the tertiary education of a few youths in our church. I’ll keep the rest to better prepare for my family’s future,” he explained.

ITHUBA CEO, Charmaine Mabuza, congratulated the winner and praised the spirit of generosity and Ubuntu reflected in his story.

“We are delighted that the winner has come forward to claim his winnings and proud of the spirit of Ubuntu he is embodying. This winner joins millions of winners we have celebrated under ITHUBA’s operations. We are proud to run a National Lottery that truly changes lives and creates opportunities for ordinary South Africans to uplift not only themselves, but the communities around them,” said Mabuza.

ITHUBA provides all top tier winners with professional trauma counselling and financial advisory services to assist them in navigating the emotional and financial impact that often accompanies sudden wealth.

Meanwhile, South Africans are gearing up for the upcoming PowerBall draw taking place on Friday, 29 May 2026.

The PowerBall jackpot is estimated at R118 MILLION, while the PowerBall PLUS jackpot is estimated at R105 MILLION. Together, the two jackpots amount to a combined estimated R223 MILLION, another massive jackpot milestone delivered under ITHUBA’s operation of the National Lottery.

Tickets are available from participating National Lottery retailers nationwide, through participating banking platforms, the National Lottery website and the National Lottery mobile app.

Sales for the Friday draw close at 20:30 on the evening of the draw.

Players must be 18 years or older. Play responsibly.

About ITHUBA

ITHUBA Holdings Proprietary Limited (RF) is the official operator of the National Lottery in South Africa. Since taking over the operation of the National Lottery in 2015, ITHUBA has been living up to their objective to reinvigorate it by optimising the consumer experience, restoring faith and trust in the National Lottery, and showcasing its positive social contribution to society. ITHUBA, proudly rooted in South Africa, intends to contribute positively and actively to socio-economic development by producing as many millionaires as possible and uplifting communities through various initiatives.

ITHUBA is determined to uphold the ethical and efficient operation of the National Lottery, setting the benchmark for Lottery operations in South Africa and beyond.

 For more information, visit us at https://www.nationallottery.co.za/.