Rustenburg Resident Revels in R46 Million
A 44-year-old resident from a small town in Rustenburg has claimed a Lotto jackpot worth R46 million following the draw on Saturday 8th December 2018. There were over 120,000 winners on the night, but the lucky player was the only ticket holder to match all six numbers to receive the eight-figure windfall.
The now multi-millionaire revealed she had been employed as a construction worker shortly before her big win following nine years of unemployment. She also explained how “it has been very painful to not be able to provide my children with even their basic needs”, and plans to now move out of town to provide a fresh start and better quality of life for her family.
The winner, who has already received financial advice from Ithuba – the national lottery operator in South Africa - said: “Where I come from, everyone who knows me knows that I am a regular Lotto player, I never miss an opportunity to become a millionaire even if I only have R5 to spend on a ticket. When word broke that the National Lottery was looking for the new jackpot winner who was in fact from our town, people already suspected that it was me who has won.”
She now hopes to buy a new house in an urban area with a high standard of education available for herself and her children. Recalling her difficult past, she said: “l always attributed my poverty to my lack of education. Now that I won’t have to worry about hustling for my family’s next meal, I will focus on upgrading my level of education. This is something I’d like to do for myself to restore my dignity.”
“I never have to worry about money again”
A lucky ticket holder from Soweto, Johannesburg, has revealed his shock at landing a Lotto jackpot worth R8.7 million. The lucky player matched all six main numbers in the draw on 19th December 2018 to scoop the windfall, but was in disbelief when he checked his numbers at the retail store.
The father-of-three told his family about his big win before claiming his prize alongside a friend from Ithuba’s offices in Sandton, Johannesburg. He said: “Winning this Lotto jackpot has indeed uplifted my dignity. I have lost count of how many years I have been without a job. When I stopped working years ago, I used whatever money I had saved to start a loan business in the township as means of survival. Every month I lend people money and they return it with interest. It is with this money that I had been able to take care of my family and send my children to school.”
He continued: “I didn’t realise that I had the winning ticket. I heard that there was a winner from Soweto – but Soweto is massive, I did not think it could be me. I was shocked to learn that I had won the jackpot. Although I play the lottery very often, I was merely just hoping for a few hundreds of thousands, winning millions is a blessing.”
The now multi-millionaire has received financial advice from Ithuba and plans to invest some of his winnings, buy a house and start a business.
