South Africa’s second-largest Powerball jackpot winner claims R178m prize
The winning ticket was purchased via the FNB banking app using the Quick Pick selection method, with a wager of R15 (€0.79).
South Africa.- South Africa’s National Lottery operator Ithuba has confirmed that the winner of the second-largest National Lottery Powerball jackpot in the country’s history has come forward to claim the R178m (€9.35m) prize.
According to the company, the jackpot was won by a young couple still in the early stages of building their careers and future together. The winning ticket was purchased via the FNB banking app using the Quick Pick selection method, with a wager of R15 (€0.79).
For the couple, the focus had long been on working hard, meeting basic needs and, one day, owning a fully paid-off home. However, the winner described years of quiet anxiety about whether he and his wife would ever achieve the life they envisioned. He said: “I was anxious about whether my wife and I would ever accomplish the life we dream of. Our dream life was by no means that of multi-millionaires.”
Like many young South Africans, overseas travel had felt like an unrealistic aspiration. That perspective has now shifted dramatically. One of the first plans the couple intends to fulfil is travelling abroad and experiencing the world together. The winner said: “That always felt like a wild fairy tale to me. We were simply working hard to cover the basics and one day own a paid-off home. This win has taken a lifetime of anxiety off our shoulders. Now all this and more is possible, and we can live our lives with far more confidence about the future.”
Ithuba CEO Charmaine Mabuza said the payout marks a major national milestone, as it ranks second among the largest jackpots ever recorded by the National Lottery. She added that the win reflects Ithuba’s broader vision for the lottery. Mabuza noted: “When we set out to reinvigorate the National Lottery, our vision was to restore excitement, credibility and scale, while creating truly life-changing, high-impact moments for everyday South Africans.”
As part of its standard support framework, Ithuba provided the couple with counselling and access to independent financial advisory services. The operator has repeatedly emphasised the importance of safeguarding winners’ wellbeing and long-term stability following major jackpot claims.
