‘Retirement blessing’ as mom hits R30 million Lotto jackpot

A RECENTLY retired mother from Cape Town is celebrating a life-changing windfall after winning more than R30 million in the Lotto Plus 1 jackpot.

The winning ticket for the July 26, 2025, draw was purchased at a local retail outlet in Cape Town. The lucky winner spent R80 on her ticket and opted to manually select her numbers, which turned out to be the golden combination: 4, 7, 23, 28, 44, 46, with 18 as the bonus ball. Her prize totalled R30,211,138.30.

The new multimillionaire wasted no time in stepping forward to claim her prize, which is paid out tax-free by the National Lottery operator, Ithuba.

Having retired just last year, the mother of two adult daughters described her win as a “retirement blessing”. She had been quietly supporting her children and was especially concerned about her youngest daughter’s safety while commuting to work.

“Now, the first thing I’m doing is buying her a car. That will give me so much peace of mind,” she said.

Reflecting on the magnitude of the win, the overwhelmed winner said: “I still can’t believe it. I keep looking at the numbers and thinking: Is this really happening to me?”

With her daughter’s transport needs soon to be taken care of, the winner plans to invest the rest of her windfall wisely.

“I want to enjoy my retirement fully now. No stress, just peace. That’s my dream,” she added.

Ithuba chief executive Charmaine Mabuza congratulated the winner and welcomed her swift claim of the prize.

“We are thrilled that the winner wasted no time in claiming her winnings. To learn that she will finally be able to gift her daughter with a car that will help ensure a safer commute to work is heart-warming and will surely ease her anxiety,” Mabuza said.

“This is another testament of how Ithuba continues to transform lives through the National Lottery.”

Winners of large jackpots receive financial advice and trauma counselling to help them manage their sudden fortunes responsibly.

The Lotto Plus 1 game offers players a second chance at winning a jackpot using the same numbers they enter in the main Lotto draw, for an additional R2.50. The odds were one in 20 million, but the pay-off for this mother was more than financial — it was peace of mind.