“I did not believe that this had happened to me”
The 42-year-old’s Quick Pick entry for the Powerball draw on Tuesday 18th August turned out to be the only jackpot-winning ticket on the night. He matched the numbers 15, 22, 23, 31 and 38, plus the Powerball number 1 to claim the full jackpot for himself. There were two other tickets that also matched all five main numbers, but they just missed out on the jackpot after failing to match the Powerball number, so had to settle for R215,263 each.
The jackpot winner collected his prize money from the Ithuba offices in Sandton, Gauteng, on Wednesday 3rd October, and decided to remain anonymous. The new multi-millionaire has revealed he was away with his brother at the time of the draw, and asked his fiancé to check his ticket for him.
He explained: “I was attending a family gathering in Limpopo when my partner called to tell me that she was looking at my ticket and the draw results and I had won the jackpot. She was very shocked. She was crying even. At first I thought she was joking, but her voice was filled with too much emotion so I knew she was serious. I only believed it when I got back home and checked the ticket myself. I was immediately overcome by instant shock and excitement. I was just overwhelmed. I did not believe that this had happened to me.”
Retirement Beckons for Jackpot Winner
The Cape Town resident has decided to quit his job as a security guard following his big win, and although he spends an average of R60 on lottery tickets each week, he says he will continue playing. He stated he has kept the news to himself, but plans to tell his extended family of his winnings over time. “You can’t hide this forever‚” he stated.
“I have been playing since 1998. I never won that much but I kept on praying to win one day and that's why I didn't give up. I can't believe it is finally happening. I prayed before I played Powerball and today I am R64 million richer. Thanks to Powerball, my days of being a security guard are finally behind me. I am looking forward to retiring in the house of my dreams with my family and providing the best education for my children.”
Khensani Mabuza, a spokesperson for Ithuba, the official South Africa lottery operator, added: “I would encourage the public to continue playing, I believe everybody is a winner, and it is always good to see someone’s life change." Mabuza added they will offer the latest winner financial advice and counselling, which is free to all lottery winners of R50,000 and over in South Africa.
