In an interview with Sowetan editor Sibongakonke Shoba<\/strong> for the podcast In the Know<\/strong>, 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: \u201cNothing will stop us. On June 1 we will go online. Nothing is going to stop us. We are excited about it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Zungu added that the goal is to grow revenue so more money reaches communities through the National Lotteries Commission (NLC)<\/strong>, which distributes a fixed share of proceeds to approved projects. He said: \u201cWe hope we can ramp up gaming revenue for the benefit of communities, who will benefit through the agency designated to distribute the proceeds.\u201d He also reminded players that the lottery is a game of chance, saying: \u201cPeople know it\u2019s a game of chance and they must take their chances.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sizekhaya Holdings won the eight-year licence to operate South Africa\u2019s National Lottery and Sports Pool in May 2025<\/strong>, despite legal challenges, including an unsuccessful court bid<\/a> by incumbent operator Ithuba Holdings to block the handover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to alleged links between some Sizekhaya shareholders and Deputy President Paul Mashatile\u2019s family circle, the company has been accused of benefiting from political connections in the licensing process. However, the company\u2019s top executives, including Zungu and Chairperson Moses Tembe<\/strong>, have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing<\/a> and said the licence was awarded through a transparent and competitive process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sizekhaya has already begun working with technology partners<\/a>, including a Chinese firm<\/strong> 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<\/a> in the last financial year.<\/p>\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/02\/TANZ-LOTTO-JC1--300x200.jpg\")
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