R124 Million Lotto Winner Opens Up About Jobless Husband, Single Income, and a Life Transformed Overnight

In a twist of fate that reads like a Hollywood script, a South African woman has gone from scraping by on a single income to holding a jaw-dropping R124,602,697.30 PowerBall jackpot in her name — all from a R37.50 ticket purchased on the Absa Banking App.

The life-changing win came from Draw Number 1639, held on Tuesday, 5 August 2025. She didn’t even use Quick Pick — instead, she manually selected her numbers.

But the real drama? She almost missed the call.

“I kept seeing calls from an unfamiliar number but thought it was telesales, so I ignored them at first,” she recalls. “On Friday, I finally answered, and it was my bank advising me to report to the nearest ITHUBA office as I had won some money. They didn’t tell me the exact amount. It was only when I arrived at ITHUBA that I was told I had won the jackpot. I am still in shock.”

For years, she and her husband — who has been unemployed — have been living hand-to-mouth, trying to stretch one paycheck to cover it all.

Now, their reality has changed in a way most only dream about.

The winner’s first plans are deeply personal:

• Rebuilding her late parents’ home to restore it as the family house
• Buying her first car
• Securing her family’s future after years of struggle

“I wish my parents were still here; there’s so much I would have wanted to do for them,” she shared emotionally.

As part of ITHUBA’s Winner Services Programme, she received trauma counselling and professional financial advice to ensure her newfound wealth is handled wisely.

ITHUBA CEO Charmaine Mabuza said:

“We are thrilled that the winner has come forward and deeply moved by how this life-changing jackpot will positively impact her and her family. Stories like this are at the heart of the National Lottery — giving everyday South Africans a chance to dream big and transform their lives. We look forward to celebrating many more winners in the future.”

From R37.50 to R124 million — proof that one ticket can change everything.