South Africa’s NLC hosts National Indaba 2025
Speakers explored strategies to balance the economic benefits of lotteries with the protection of vulnerable individuals and communities from the potential harms of excessive and illegal gaming.
South Africa.- The National Lotteries Commission (NLC) held its National Indaba 2025 at the Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg from November 25 to 27, bringing together policymakers, regulators, civil societies and grantees from across South Africa. The event, featuring the theme “Effective Regulation and Funding through Digitisation”, served as a key platform for the NLC to brief stakeholders on its strategic direction, reforms, governance improvements and progress in restoring public trust.
On the first day of the event, discussions centred around three key topics, including strengthening compliance in the non-profit organisation (NPO) sector, driving digital transformation in grant management and ensuring funding sustainability for civil society. The morning session featured contributions from several speakers, including Edward Kieswetter from SARS, who discussed the importance of ethical leadership in the non-profit sector; Mpho Mngxitama from DSD, who emphasised the significance of compliance with the Nonprofit Organisations Act; and Risenga Maluleke, who presented data-driven insights that shed light on key issues in the sector.
The day’s events also included a regulatory roundtable themed “Protecting the Societal Role of Lotteries through a Modern Responsible Gaming Policy and the Fight against Illegal Gaming”, where experts such as Prof. Barney Pityana, NLC Board Chairperson; Mike Vonk, NSRI CEO; and Hardin Ratshisusu, NCC Acting Commissioner, explored strategies to balance the economic benefits of lotteries with the protection of vulnerable individuals and communities from the potential harms of excessive and illegal gaming.
The highlight of day two was a plenary session on the theme “Advancing Digital Transformation and Strengthening Governance”. The NLC unveiled its modernisation plans, highlighting advancements in transparency, efficiency and fraud prevention. Government officials from SARS and Social Development stressed the importance of ethical leadership and enhanced compliance in the non-profit sector.
On the final day of the conference, the NLC received reports from its breakaway commissions, as well as feedback from stakeholders and grant beneficiaries who shared their concerns and offered recommendations for future improvement.
Jodi Scholtz, NLC Commissioner, noted that the resolutions from the event would be implemented as resources allowed, with stakeholder inputs informing the process.
She said: “We will ensure that stakeholders’ voices are not only heard but that their strategic inputs and contributions to the entity’s mandate fulfilment are considered. We have taken our stakeholder-inclusive approach to greater heights and are more committed than ever to addressing burning issues within the sector and to attending to stakeholders’ needs.”
