R80 ticket, R8.9 million life change: a quiet win in Potchefstroom
An R80 slip left in a jacket pocket for almost a week has turned into an R8,952,821.60 windfall for a man from Potchefstroom, North West. The Saturday, 28 June 2025 Lotto draw made him a millionaire, and he only realised it after checking his numbers online days later. “I was very excited when I found out I had won. I've always held onto the hope that one day I would become a millionaire,” he said.
The ticket was manually selected, not a quick pick. That detail won’t change the odds—every combination has the same chance—but it does speak to the ritual many players have: choosing dates, lucky numbers, or patterns. In a game where the jackpot odds sit at roughly one in 20 million, those small habits can feel like part of the magic.
When the shock settled, he called the people who matter most. “The first people I shared the news with were my mother and brother,” he said. His plans are simple and rooted in stability: build a house and retire early. No mention of supercars or private islands—just a home, time, and a cushion for the future.
Ithuba, the National Lottery operator, confirmed the claim and welcomed the winner into its post-jackpot programme, which includes financial advice and trauma counselling. “We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the lucky winner,” said Ithuba CEO Charmaine Mabuza. “We're excited to empower him with the financial knowledge and tools necessary to help him turn this windfall into a lasting legacy.”
That support matters. Sudden wealth can be overwhelming, especially when it comes out of the blue. Winners are guided through a process that starts with ticket verification and identity checks, and can include private sessions with financial planners and psychologists. South African rules allow winners to remain anonymous, and most choose to. The less attention, the smoother the next steps.
Practicalities kick in fast. Keep the original ticket safe and signed. Use only official channels to claim. Watch out for unsolicited calls and social media messages—scammers move quickly when jackpots hit the news. Ithuba says winning tickets must be claimed within a set period from the draw date; if a prize goes unclaimed, the money is directed to good causes. This time, the money found its rightful owner.
What comes next: building, retirement, and the reality behind a jackpot
“Build a house” is a grounded first move. In Potchefstroom—a university town with a steady housing market and a community feel—homebuilding is both a personal milestone and a financial anchor. Construction costs have been creeping up as materials and labour move with inflation, so a paid-off home is a strong hedge. It also lowers monthly expenses, which matters if you’re planning to retire earlier than you once thought.
On retirement, timing and pacing matter more than headlines. South African lottery prizes are not taxed as income. What happens after, though, is the usual: returns on investments can be taxed, and large gifts may attract donations tax. The winner says he plans to invest, which lines up with what advisers often recommend—spread the money across safer and growth assets, keep an emergency fund, and phase into a new lifestyle rather than flipping a switch overnight. It’s the boring plan, and that’s often the point.
There’s the emotional side too. The first few weeks after a big win are noisy—calls, requests, ideas, second thoughts. Counselling helps winners set boundaries, make decisions at their own pace, and avoid impulsive commitments. Saying “not yet” is as useful as saying “no.” Most importantly, there’s time. Winners are not forced to make life-changing moves immediately.
The Lotto story here has a quiet charm: a small-town player picks his own numbers, forgets the ticket for days, and then lands a multimillion-rand prize. But it’s also a broader South African story. The National Lottery draws twice a week. Across the country, players file into spazas and supermarkets, or buy online, chasing a rare but real chance—odds stacked high, but not zero. Every so often, someone beats those odds. This time, it was a man in Potchefstroom.
He won with a manually selected selection, which prompts a common question: do hand-picked numbers help? No. Quick picks and manual picks have the same chance. Clusters of winners sometimes happen because of popular number choices—birthdays, repeating patterns—but any six-number combination is as likely as any other. If anything, manual selection only changes how crowded a prize pool might be when common numbers hit. Here, the prize was whole, and it changes one life dramatically.
Money decisions will ripple beyond one person. A new home means work for builders and trades. Local shops feel the spend. If the winner invests through South African platforms, that capital backs businesses and bonds. Jackpots don’t just disappear into a vault; they move through the economy in small, visible ways.
For anyone holding a ticket from that 28 June draw, it’s worth repeating a few basics:
- Check your ticket promptly and keep it safe. Photograph both sides and sign the back.
- Claim through official channels only. Don’t share copies with strangers.
- If you win big, take the meeting with the adviser and counsellor. It’s free and useful.
- Think in phases—settle debts, secure housing, then plan long-term.
As for the winner, the plan is already in motion: call family, buy land or a house, and start the paperwork. Retirement won’t be a leap off a cliff; it will likely be a staged exit, paced with advice and backed by an investment plan. That approach fits the man who tucked a ticket into his jacket and went about his week. Measured, careful, and very human.
The odds were long, the ticket was ordinary, and the win is life-changing. South Africa’s lottery operator will walk the winner through the maze. Potchefstroom will soon host a new build. And a man who thought he might someday be a millionaire is now, simply, a Lotto winner.
