*’I Thought They Were Scam Calls’
*’I’ll Use Part Of Money To Spoil My Husband’
A woman from South Africa’s Western Cape narrowly avoided losing more than R834,000 (over N72m) in Lotto winnings after ignoring dozens of phone calls, arriving at lottery operator Ithuba office on the last day her ticket could legally be claimed.
“I couldn’t believe it. I had gone from attending a funeral to claiming over R800,000 on the very same day. It was emotional, overwhelming and completely unexpected,” she said.
According to Sowetan newspaper, the ticket was bought on 5 February, 2025 through the Absa banking app, using the quick pick selection method with a R600 (about N52,000) wager.
The ticket was due to expire exactly one year later last Thursday.
The last day it could be claimed, the winner arrived at Ithuba offices after answering a call informing her the ticket was expiring that day.
According to Ithuba, on the day of the claim the winner had attended a funeral, and throughout the day her phone rang repeatedly, showing more than 30 missed calls.
She ignored them, assuming they were spam or robocalls.
The winner admitted she has developed a habit of ignoring calls from unknown numbers because many of them were automated and scams.
The reality sank in when she eventually answered a call and was informed that her ticket was expiring that day, and that she needed to urgently visit an Ithuba office.
She recalled that shortly after taking communion at the funeral, she felt an overwhelming sense of calm and peace.
“At first, I didn’t believe it. I honestly thought it was a scam. Even my husband told me it couldn’t be real,” she said.
Having retired about 18 months ago, the winner says the timing of the win feels deeply meaningful.
She plans to renovate her home, settle the remaining balance on her car and spoil her husband, who has been a constant source of support since her retirement.
“This is one of the most extraordinary winner stories we have experienced, and we have had many,” said Ithuba CEO Charmaine Mabuza.
*PHOTO CAPTION: Lotto.
