A South African player has scooped the life-changing R124.6 million PowerBall jackpot in the Tuesday, August 5 draw, sending shockwaves of both excitement and suspicion across the country.
The winning ticket, purchased for R37.50 through the Absa banking app, was confirmed by National Lottery operator Ithuba in a public announcement that ended weeks of suspense.
“We are looking forward to meeting the winner and learning about their plans for this huge jackpot. We encourage all participants to check their tickets to ensure they do not miss out on winnings from other divisions,” said Ithuba CEO Charmaine Mabuza.
The winning numbers drawn were: 10, 32, 34, 40, 48, with the PowerBall bonus number: 14.
Alongside the jackpot winner, seven players matched five numbers and walked away with over R115,000 each, while 49 others earned more than R10,000.
“It’s always the Apps”: The controversy begins
Social media erupted shortly after the announcement, with many users questioning the consistent appearance of banking apps in major wins—especially amid ongoing debate about Ithuba’s licence renewal.
“It’s always the apps. We never see people from the townships or rural areas winning these jackpots. Always people with bank apps,” one user posted on X.
The viral speculation quickly gained traction. One particularly damning post, from a supposed “former senior employee” at Ithuba alleged:
“We will see more jackpots rolling over to bigger amounts and won by one person who is their associate.”
Another post from verified user @lindz_malindz read:
“Did you know Ithuba lottery is paying these folks R80 to make noise about PowerBall jackpots. Ithuba jackpots are not won bafethu. Drop your email addresses … so I can send you some disturbing information.”
Ithuba responds: “We are committed to transparency”
Ithuba moved swiftly to deny the allegations, labelling them as unfounded and unverified. In a statement to The Citizen, the operator stated:
“Ithuba remains committed to fairness, transparency and integrity. All draws are conducted using a secure, independently audited process that is fully automated and free from human intervention.”
Furthermore, the company reinforced that winners come from a variety of platforms, not just banks:
“These winners purchased their tickets through a variety of convenient platforms, including in-store retailers, banking apps of various banks, the National Lottery website, and the official mobile app.”
“We do not, and cannot, know or influence who the next winner will be.”
The bigger conversation
While the R124 million jackpot represents a dream come true for one South African, it also exposes a growing mistrust in public institutions and a hunger for transparency in national systems. Whether or not the conspiracy theories hold water, they clearly resonate with a public grappling with inequality and systemic frustrations.
The winner’s identity remains confidential, but all eyes are on whether Ithuba will make their celebration public—or quietly let the story fade.
Want to play your shot at the next big win?
Check out this full guide on How to Play Daily Lotto & PowerBall in South Africa (In-Store & Online)
IMPORTANT NOTICE
These results are published for your convenience on NOWinSA. Always verify your numbers on the official National Lottery website before claiming any prizes.
