The winner of this past Tuesday’s R163 million PowerBall jackpot has come forward – and he’s a humble Western Cape man whose lucky ticket was bought for just R30.
According to National Lottery operator ITHUBA, the winner purchased his ticket via the Nedbank banking app, using a combination of Quick Pick and personally chosen numbers based on the birth dates of his loved ones.
“I usually play using Quick Pick, so I bought one Quick Pick ticket as I always do, and then another one where I chose numbers that mean something special to me,” the winner said.
Initially, he thought he had only won R10 after receiving a routine notification from the app – until a later call from his bank revealed the staggering truth.
“Because of that R10 message, I didn’t take the call seriously at first. When I finally logged into my app at work, there it was – the message that I had won big and needed to contact ITHUBA to begin the claiming process.”
Family first
The winner, who asked to remain anonymous, said the windfall would be used to secure his family’s future and support his relatives.
“I will use my winnings to ease life for my family and relatives because we come from humble beginnings,” he said.
“As for my wife, I’ll buy her the best coffee machine on the market. I know she’d prefer a live-in barista, but the coffee machine will have to do!”
He also plans to surprise his wife with an overseas girls’ trip with her sisters – a long-time dream of hers.
Manchester dreams and modest celebrations
A devoted Manchester United fan, the winner said he will finally make another lifelong dream come true – seeing his favourite football club play live.
“My children and I are all fans of Manchester United. I’ve always dreamt of watching them live, and now we can. But I’m not telling them about the win – they must continue working hard and remain disciplined.”
Despite his life-changing fortune, the winner said he hasn’t told his colleagues – even accepting a lunch from one of them the next day, trying hard not to reveal his secret.
“One of them even bought me lunch the next day – little did they know I was R163 million richer. I had to bite my lip to keep from smiling. I’ll still accept their lunches, but now I’ll also be buying lunch for everyone more often.”
He also revealed plans to take swimming lessons and learn a musical instrument, describing the win as an opportunity to grow, explore, and give back.
Winning numbers
After 21 consecutive rollovers, the mega PowerBall jackpot was finally won on Tuesday evening.
ITHUBA confirmed that Tuesday’s draw saw one lucky player win an eye-watering R163 552 190.60.
The numbers drawn were 7, 10, 16, 21, 30 and the PowerBall itself was 11.
Tuesday’s draw was the largest jackpot of the year and one of the top three highest jackpots in South African lottery history.
Incredibly, Tuesday’s PowerBall Plus jackpot of R31 018 628.30 was also won by one player.
The PowerBall Plus numbers were 2, 8, 12, 30, 31 and the PowerBall ball itself was 2.
At the time of publishing, the PowerBall Plus winner had not yet come forward to collect his – or her – prize.
Meanwhile, the winning PowerBall Plus ticket was purchased on the FNB banking app.
The next PowerBall and PowerBall Plus draws will take place on Tuesday, 28 October with jackpots of R10 million and R4 million, respectively.
Ticket sales close at 20:30.
The PowerBall and PowerBall Plus draws are broadcast live at 20:58, with the winning numbers published shortly thereafter on The South African.