Sizekhaya director says nothing will stop June 1 National Lottery takeover
The KwaZulu-Natal businessman said his consortium is ready to proceed, with offices set up, staff recruitment ongoing and marketing plans in place.
South Africa.-Sandile Zungu, Director of Sizekhaya Holdings, has confirmed that the National Lottery will move forward under new management on June 1 without delay.
In an interview with Sowetan editor Sibongakonke Shoba for the podcast In the Know, the KwaZulu-Natal businessman said his consortium is ready to proceed, with offices set up, staff recruitment ongoing, marketing plans in place, training under way and retailers signing up to sell tickets. He said: “Nothing will stop us. On June 1 we will go online. Nothing is going to stop us. We are excited about it.”
Zungu added that the goal is to grow revenue so more money reaches communities through the National Lotteries Commission (NLC), which distributes a fixed share of proceeds to approved projects. He said: “We hope we can ramp up gaming revenue for the benefit of communities, who will benefit through the agency designated to distribute the proceeds.” He also reminded players that the lottery is a game of chance, saying: “People know it’s a game of chance and they must take their chances.”
Sizekhaya Holdings won the eight-year licence to operate South Africa’s National Lottery and Sports Pool in May 2025, despite legal challenges, including an unsuccessful court bid by incumbent operator Ithuba Holdings to block the handover.
Due to alleged links between some Sizekhaya shareholders and Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s family circle, the company has been accused of benefiting from political connections in the licensing process. However, the company’s top executives, including Zungu and Chairperson Moses Tembe, have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and said the licence was awarded through a transparent and competitive process.
Sizekhaya has already begun working with technology partners, including a Chinese firm handling ticketing systems and staff preparation. The transition will bring a new operator to a market that funds thousands of community projects each year. In its latest report, the NLC said grant funding helped create or retain more than 1,300 jobs in the last financial year.
