Claiming a Lotto or PowerBall win: where to go and how long you have

Who pays out National Lottery prizes

Since 1 June 2026 the National Lottery has been run by Sizekhaya Holdings, which took over from Ithuba under an eight-year licence issued by the National Lotteries Commission (NLC). Prizes are now claimed through Sizekhaya, and that includes tickets bought before the handover. Claims on those older tickets were reopened in June 2026 once the two operators’ data had been synchronised, with the NLC monitoring the process, as Briefly reported. If you are holding an old Ithuba ticket, it is not automatically void. The same validity period applies to it.

Where to claim, by prize size and channel

Where you go depends on two things: how much you won, and whether you bought your ticket at a shop or online. The limits below are the ones Sizekhaya’s winner services gave The Citizen at the time of writing. Older guides written in Ithuba’s time quote different bands, so confirm the current limits with Sizekhaya before you travel.

Big winners get more than a payment. Sizekhaya offers major jackpot winners what it calls Extended Support Services, including trauma counselling and financial advisory support, according to an IOL report on its first PowerBall jackpot winner. The Citizen reports that counselling and financial advice are offered to all winners when they claim.

Claiming step by step

1. Check the ticket. Compare your numbers with the official results, then have the ticket scanned at an authorised retailer. That is how Sizekhaya’s first PowerBall jackpot winner confirmed his R128 million win.
2. Protect the ticket. Independent claim guides advise signing the back straight away, because a paper ticket is treated much like cash: whoever holds it can try to claim it. Keep it flat, dry and out of sight, and do not post photos of it.
3. Work out your channel. Use the table above. A small retail win can be paid at the counter. A large win means a visit to a Sizekhaya office.
4. Gather your documents. Expect to prove who you are and to give bank details for the electronic payment. Ask Sizekhaya’s winner services for the exact list before your visit, as the official claim rules page could not be checked for this article.
5. Submit the claim and wait for payment. Online and office claims are paid electronically, typically within 72 working hours.
6. Use the support on offer. Take the counselling and financial advice before you make any large decisions about the money.

The 365-day deadline

Winners have 365 days from each draw date to claim, a rule Sizekhaya repeats in its winner announcements. The clock runs per draw, not per ticket purchase, so a multi-draw ticket has a separate deadline for each draw on it. If you play regularly, check old tickets before you throw them away. A forgotten small prize still counts.

Do not leave a big claim until the last few weeks either. Office claims are paid electronically and may involve checks before the money is released, and a damaged or faded ticket can take longer to verify. If your ticket is torn, wet or hard to read, contact Sizekhaya’s winner services straight away rather than waiting. The deadline is calculated from the draw date, and nothing in the operator’s published statements suggests it can be extended because a ticket was hard to read or mislaid. Playing online removes most of this risk, because the win is tied to your account and the payment goes to your wallet or bank account without a paper ticket changing hands.

What happens to unclaimed prizes

Unclaimed money does not go back to the operator. Under the system Ithuba described in 2024, winnings are held in the National Lotteries Participants Trust while they can still be claimed. After 365 days they are forfeited to the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (NLDTF), which pays grants to good causes. At that point about R257 million in prizes was waiting to be claimed, as IOL reported. The NLC’s 2025/26 annual report gives the yearly amounts:

Expired prizes rose from R69,044,000 to R89,348,000 in the latest year, an increase of 28.99%. The report puts this down to unclaimed first-division prizes. It also notes that the shift to online sales is cutting the amount that expires, since a winning online ticket is tied to an account and does not get lost in a drawer.

Privacy, scams and tax

Many winners would rather not be named, and independent claim guides say anonymity is available on request. Because the official rules could not be checked, ask about it when you claim and confirm in writing. Be wary of anyone who contacts you about a prize you did not enter for, or who asks for a “release fee” before paying out. A genuine lottery prize is never released for an upfront payment.

How a lottery win is treated for tax depends on your circumstances. See our guide to gambling winnings and tax, and check with SARS or a registered tax practitioner before you move or invest a large amount. The lottery games section covers how each draw works. You must be 18 or older to play or claim. If gambling is causing you problems, the South African Responsible Gambling Foundation helpline is free and open 24/7 on 0800 006 008, and our responsible gambling page explains the other options.