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South Africa’s lottery operator, Sizekhaya, has called on players to pay closer attention to their tickets and banking notifications after more than R120 million ($7.5 million) in Lotto and PowerBall prizes remained unclaimed.
The company says many of these tickets were purchased through banking apps, meaning winners may already have alerts waiting for them. However, it warned that the clock is ticking as regulations mandate lottery prizes to be claimed within 365 days or the money is transferred to the National Lotteries Distribution Trust Fund.
Sizekhaya COO Fundi Sithebe explained on Radio 702 last Thursday that smaller winnings are automatically paid into customer accounts when tickets are bought through banking apps. But when the prize is large, banks reach out directly.
“Your bank will call you or send you notifications to say you are a high-tier winner… SMSs, WhatsApp messages, phone calls. Please, sometimes it’s actually not spam. It’s the real deal,” he said.
Sithebe added that many players may ignore these calls, assuming they are scams, or simply forget to check their tickets as daily life takes over.
“We’re begging people, please come get the millions!”
Among the biggest unclaimed prizes is a R93.5 million PowerBall jackpot from a ticket bought in Molapo, Soweto. That winner has yet to come forward, according to an EWN report.
Another outstanding prize is R23 million from a ticket purchased on June 13 through an Absa banking app. Sithebe added, “We’re still waiting for somebody who bought a ticket on the 13th of June for R23 million off an Absa banking app.”
The lottery operator is urging players not to delay. “We still need you as the person that’s bought the ticket… to check your tickets, to check your numbers and to come forward to say that you’ve won,” Sithebe stressed. “We’re begging people, please come get the millions!”
