The May 29 draw will mark the end of Ithuba\u2019s operation of South Africa\u2019s National Lottery after 11 years running the licence, according to EWN. Ithuba has meanwhile warned that all existing online lottery accounts will close before May 31, with players advised to \u201cwithdraw any remaining funds<\/strong> from their digital wallets as there will be no carry-over<\/strong> of accounts or balances\u201d between the outgoing and incoming operators, according to The South African.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The June 1 transition will hand control of South Africa\u2019s National Lottery and Sports Pools licence to Sizekhaya Holdings for an eight-year term<\/strong> following one of the country\u2019s most closely watched gaming-sector transitions, with retailer onboarding and operational rollout preparations continuing ahead of launch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sizekhaya and the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) staged a joint media and stakeholder rollout event in Johannesburg on May 21 ahead of the handover. Sizekhaya Holdings Chairperson Moses Tembe described the National Lottery as \u201ca national instrument for development<\/strong>, opportunity and social impact,\u201d according to Fullview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sizekhaya has also launched a live countdown clock on its official website as the National Lottery takeover enters its final days. The company has outlined plans for more attainable jackpots, fewer prolonged rollovers and the return of live televised draws as part of its strategy to reshape the lottery experience<\/a> under the new licence period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sizekhaya COO Fundi Sithebe<\/strong> said the consortium planned to make jackpots \u201cmore meaningful, more frequently\u201d through reforms aimed at reducing prolonged rollovers, alongside efforts to modernise the lottery experience through digital systems and the return of live televised draws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The transition also arrives amid elevated jackpot activity during Ithuba\u2019s final weeks in operation, with recent Lotto jackpots in May 2026 climbing towards the R100m mark (US$5.5m) and PowerBall rollovers reported at up to R196m (US$10.8m) ahead of the June handover. South African media reports have also highlighted questions around rollover jackpots<\/strong> and outstanding prizes as the sector prepares for one of its biggest operational shifts in more than a decade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The changeover closes a significant chapter for Ithuba, which first assumed operation of South Africa\u2019s National Lottery in 2015. The operator\u2019s original eight-year licence expired in 2023<\/strong> before being extended on a year-to-year basis pending the incoming licence transition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During its tenure, Ithuba oversaw several major PowerBall jackpots, including wins worth R232m (US$12.8m), R178.9m (US$9.9m) and R158m (US$8.7m), while also expanding the National Lottery\u2019s digital footprint <\/strong>and online participation systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Michelle Van Trotsenburg, Ithuba’s head of marketing and corporate relations, said the operator had witnessed both player and community impact <\/strong>during its time running the National Lottery. \u201cWe’ve seen people’s lives change, and we’ve seen projects that might have fallen by the wayside that are then funded through the National Lottery’s good causes money,\u201d Van Trotsenburg said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\nFinal jackpots under Ithuba<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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