South Africa’s National Lottery changed on 1 June 2026 when Sizekhaya Holdings took over from iThuba Holdings, bringing new game rules, new prices, a new jackpot structure, and the return of live televised draws.
If you played the lottery under iThuba, most of what you know still applies, the games are the same.
But there are enough rule and pricing changes that it is worth reading through before your next ticket. Here is a full breakdown of every South Africa lottery change in 2026.
PowerBall: What changed
The main PowerBall game now runs on a smaller number pool. PowerBall now uses 5 numbers drawn from 1 to 50, plus an additional ball from 1 to 16, at a ticket price of R10.
Under iThuba, the PowerBall pool ran to 50 main numbers, so the reduction in the additional ball range is the more significant shift.
PowerBall Plus has been renamed PowerBall Extra, and is the main draw that will be cascaded under the new jackpot structure. Head of Marketing Khothatso Mashile confirmed on 702 that PowerBall has been repositioned and separated from the previous model.
The PowerBall Extra add-on costs R5 on top of the base ticket.
Why the smaller number pool matters: fewer numbers means a higher probability of matching the winning combination. Sizekhaya has promised more frequent jackpot payouts as part of its pitch to players. The reduced pool is part of delivering on that.
Lotto: What changed
Lotto now uses 6 numbers drawn from a pool of 1 to 52, reduced from the previous 1 to 58. The Lotto Plus 1 add-on and a new Lotto 5 Max add-on are both available at R2.50 each.
Daily Lotto: What changed
Daily Lotto remains structurally the same but moves to a new ticket price of R3. It continues to draw seven days a week at 21:00.
The new jackpot structure: Cascading instead of rolling over
This is the biggest change to how big prizes work. Sizekhaya is discarding the rollover system.
If there are no winners in the first division, the same jackpot amount moves to winners in the second division. If there are no second division winners either, the prize shifts to the lower divisions instead of rolling over to the next draw.
The new cascading jackpot mechanism guarantees that jackpots will be won at least once a month.
In practical terms, this means you are less likely to see the multi-hundred-million-rand jackpots that built up under iThuba’s rollover system.
What you gain is far better odds of winning a large prize at a lower division. Whether that trade-off works for you depends on how you play.
Live draws are back
Sizekhaya is bringing back live draws starting 2 June 2026. CEO Lebo Ndadana said live televised draws create excitement, anticipation and a sense of shared national participation, and that bringing them back is part of restoring that excitement and reconnecting people with the lottery experience.
Live draws were phased out during iThuba’s tenure and replaced with computerised draws.
Their return is a transparency measure as much as it is a programming decision.
Scratch cards are back
Scratch cards are returning as part of the Sizekhaya takeover. These instant-style tickets give players an outcome on the spot rather than waiting for a scheduled draw, and have historically been a popular entry point at retail.
Launch dates and price points for specific scratch card games have not yet been confirmed.
New ways to play
A QR code play option is being introduced.
Players choose their numbers, generate a QR code on their smartphone, and show it to the retailer to buy the ticket.
Players can also enter up to 10 consecutive draws in a single purchase.
A Multiplay option allows you to bet on more numbers than the standard game allows, giving more chances to win at a higher ticket price.
What about your old online account?
There is no carryover of accounts or balances between iThuba and Sizekhaya. If you had funds in an iThuba online wallet that you have not yet withdrawn, contact the National Lotteries Commission directly to recover your balance.
Prize winnings from iThuba-era draws remain claimable regardless of the operator change.
What about retailers?
All existing National Lottery equipment ceased to function on 1 June. Sizekhaya’s technology is entirely new, so retailers needed to apply to become approved outlets.
If your usual spaza shop or retailer is not yet selling tickets, they may still be going through the approval process.
Find a confirmed Sizekhaya outlet before your next draw date.
