Incoming lotto operator making it a bit easier to win

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Vicky Stark

10 March 2026 | 10:28

The live broadcast of the lottery draw will return.

Incoming lotto operator making it a bit easier to win

Picture: Dylan Nolte/Unsplash

The CEO of South Africa's incoming national lottery operator says sleep is overrated at this point.
"Because there are so many moving parts to ensuring a successful transition on the 1st of June," Fundi Sithebe, Sizekhaya Holdings Chief Operating Officer, told 702's Clement Manyathela.
Sithebe said they are addressing what's called 'jackpot fatigue'. "We go on for weeks, the jackpot gets bigger, but it just keeps on rolling over and rolling over. Some of the innovations put forward are cascading that jackpot so that we start to make it more meaningful, more frequently, and players can start to feel that this is actually attainable... We've increased the odds and made sure that it's a little bit more attainable than it was, and that's the mechanism of the game design that we truly took time in putting together."
The live, on-screen lottery draw will return. "It was important for us to bring that back, just to show the transparency. Apart from the fact that it's such a South African tradition, sitting around the TV watching."
She explained that the ambition to go for the lottery operator tender was born three or four years ago. The consortium was led by Gold Rush Holdings, a listed entity that has been in the gaming sector for many years.
"When Gold Rush was at the stage of putting this bid together, it was very important for them, apart from putting a compelling value proposition, to really put together the strongest team possible. So, in terms of the shareholding of Sizekhaya, of the consortium, 50% is Gold Rush, and then there are other shareholders that range between 7% and 10%.
"But I think what's also incredibly important was a concerted effort to include shareholders that have never been in this space before. They bring different aspects, so we've got chartered accountants, we've got young, Black professionals."
They are also partnering with technology company Genlot, which is involved in China's biggest lottery.
"That's who's doing our backend, our systems side of it."
She said Genlot will also help with new terminals. Accessibility will also be improved with handheld devices, especially in rural and township stores where space may be limited. There will also be more banking apps offering the lotto.
To cut down on the number of people standing in queues, they are also introducing a QR code scanning option.
To listen to Sithebe, use the audio player below:
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