Ithuba has confirmed that the winner of the Lotto jackpot from the draw on Wednesday, 6 May 2026, has claimed his millions.
The winning ticket, a quick pick selection bought at Checkers Hyper in Sandton City, is the third highest jackpot win of 2026.
Faithful player reaps the rewards
The R100 644 721.10 winner is an entrepreneur in the mining sector. He shared how he has been faithfully playing PowerBall every Tuesday and Friday for the past two years. When he narrowly missed the jackpot in his early days of playing, he took this as a sign.
“Within four months of playing regularly, I won in the second division of PowerBall and missed the jackpot by just one number. After that moment, I told myself that one day I would win, and I kept playing consistently,” he shared.
He further expressed how he had no idea that he would become a multi-millionaire until he stumbled upon media reports about Ithuba being on the lookout for the winner.
“When I saw where the winning ticket was bought, I instantly had a feeling that I could be sitting on a multi-million-rand ticket and immediately checked my numbers,” he said.
Asked what the first thing he plans to do after becoming a multi-millionaire was, the winner
joked that he would “buy my family takeaway burgers”.
‘Opportunity to help others’
While the win will undoubtedly transform his family’s future, the winner says his greatest joy comes from the opportunity to uplift others.
The winner spoke on how there is a deeper purpose behind his newfound wealth.
“I’m blessed to already have work that sustains me through my business. This win gives me an opportunity to help others, something I have always wished to do. I will use a portion of my winnings to fund the tertiary education of a few youths in our church. I’ll keep the rest to better prepare for my family’s future.”
Ithuba CEO, Charmaine Mabuza shared: “We are delighted that the winner has come forward to claim his winnings and proud of the spirit of Ubuntu he is embodying. This winner joins millions of winners we have celebrated under ITHUBA’s operations. We are proud to run a National Lottery that truly changes lives and creates opportunities for ordinary South Africans to uplift not only themselves, but the communities around them.”
What happens after winning?
All winners receive an SMS from their banks containing a reference number and further instructions regarding what documents to take along when visiting the lottery operator. If a player wins less than R250 000, the money will be deposited directly into their account if they used a banking app to play.
Players who win more than R250 000 will be referred to Ithuba for a payout. Winners of more than R50 000 receive free financial and trauma counselling. All winnings are tax-free.
