by TINTSWALO BALOYI
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – THREE South Africans have become multimillionaires after the National Lottery’s first-ever PowerBall Xtra jackpot cascade produced three winners, each walking away with more than R45,7 million.
The historic draw follows the introduction of the jackpot cascade by National Lottery operator, Sizekhaya, which took over the licence on 1 June and introduced the mechanism to ensure guaranteed jackpot winners after three consecutive rollovers.
With no ticket matching all five numbers plus the PowerBall in the latest draw, the estimated R139 million PowerBall Xtra jackpot automatically cascaded to Division Two, where it was shared equally among three winning ticket holders.
Each winner will receive R45 733 457,30, marking the first time in South African National Lottery history that a PowerBall Xtra jackpot has cascaded to the next winning division.
The winning tickets were purchased at Checkers Hyper in New Market, Alberton, and through the Standard Bank and First National Bank (FNB) banking applications.
Fundi Sithebe, Chief Operating Officer of Sizekhaya, described the outcome as a landmark moment for both the operator and the National Lottery.
“This is a landmark moment for the National Lottery and a wonderful day for three South Africans whose lives have changed forever,” Sithebe said.
She said the jackpot cascade had been introduced to create more winners rather than allowing jackpots to continue rolling over indefinitely.
“When we introduced the jackpot cascade, our goal was to ensure that every fourth PowerBall Xtra draw creates significant winners. Last night, South Africans saw that promise become reality. Instead of another rollover, the jackpot found three homes,” she said.
The winning numbers for the main PowerBall draw were 23, 26, 40, 42, 44 with PowerBall 15, while the PowerBall Xtra winning numbers were 8, 14, 16, 25, 44 with PowerBall 15.
In addition to the three multimillionaires, players in Division Three of the main PowerBall draw each received **R32 682,40**, spreading the night’s winnings across multiple prize categories.
The jackpot cascade applies exclusively to PowerBall Xtra.
Under the system, if the jackpot is not won after three successive rollovers, the prize automatically cascades to the next winning division until winners are produced.
According to Sizekhaya, the innovation guarantees jackpot winners every fourth PowerBall Xtra draw while increasing players’ chances of winning substantial prizes.
“This is exactly the kind of innovation we promised South Africans,” Sithebe said.
“We’re creating bigger moments, bigger excitement and more winning opportunities, while ensuring that the National Lottery continues to change lives.”
PowerBall tickets cost R10, while PowerBall Xtra tickets are available for an additional R5. Winners have 365 days from the date of the draw to claim their prizes.
Sizekhaya assumed operation of the National Lottery on 1 June and has pledged to modernise the lottery through new products and innovations aimed at increasing participation and prize opportunities.
– CAJ News