He almost let R93.5 million slip through his fingers

A Soweto family man has finally come forward to collect his R93.5 million PowerBall prize, weeks after the winning numbers were drawn.

The long-time National Lottery player admitted he left his ticket unchecked for several days before comparing it to the published results.

He matched all five numbers plus the PowerBall in the draw on Friday, 21 August, becoming South Africa’s newest multi-millionaire.

A ticket almost missed

The winner bought his ticket at Pronto Fruit and Vegetables in Molapo, Soweto. The winning numbers were 2, 4, 5, 24 and 49, with a PowerBall number of 4.

Unlike many winners who check their tickets straight away, he let his sit unchecked for days.

Even once he noticed the numbers matched, he says he checked and rechecked the ticket several times before he could believe he’d actually won R93,523,480 from a single PowerBall ticket.

Holding onto hope

The winner described his years of playing the National Lottery as an exercise in patience.

Reflecting on the win, he said he saw those years as planting a seed, with the jackpot finally letting him enjoy the fruit of that investment.

He thanked Sizekhaya and the National Lottery, and said he was looking forward to what the windfall would mean for himself and his family.

His story has also become a reminder to other players to check their tickets properly after every draw. As Sizekhaya put it, “Sometimes a winning ticket may be sitting safely at home waiting to be discovered.”

Support for the new millionaire

Like other major winners, he’ll have access to free, confidential counselling and financial guidance through Sizekhaya, designed to help him adjust to his new circumstances and manage the win responsibly.

For a family man who has played the Lotto for years, this jackpot marks a genuinely dramatic shift, and a reminder that sudden wealth comes with its own responsibilities alongside the excitement.

I love a story that ends this well. It’s proof that patience in this game really can pay off, quite literally, even if it takes a few extra days to notice.

Would you have left a winning ticket unchecked for days like he did?

Let us know in the comments below…

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