Friday the 13th jackpot fever as PowerBall prize climbs to R135 million

South Africans are once again dreaming big and this time the stars have aligned with a date famous for superstition.

The PowerBall and PowerBall Plus jackpots have climbed to a combined R135 million ahead of the draw on Friday, 13 March 2026, after a remarkable streak of rollovers left Tuesday night’s draw without a winner.

For lottery players across the country, that combination a massive jackpot and the infamous Friday the 13th has created a wave of excitement.

A rare streak pushes the jackpot sky-high

The jackpot surge comes after the 13th consecutive rollover, an unusually long streak in the game.

Tuesday’s draw on 10 March failed to produce a jackpot winner, leaving R124 million untouched and pushing the prize pool even higher for Friday’s draw.

If no one claims the jackpot again, the prize could begin edging closer to the R179 million payout seen earlier this year a figure that captured headlines nationwide.

Currently, the jackpots stand at:

• R93 million for PowerBall

• R42 million for PowerBall Plus

Together, that brings the total potential winnings to R135 million.

The curious superstition of number 13

In many Western cultures, Friday the 13th is considered unlucky a superstition that dates back centuries.

But when it comes to gambling, many players see the number quite differently.

In several Asian traditions, the number 13 is often viewed as fortunate, and in South Africa the date has become something of a tongue-in-cheek betting tradition.

Scroll through local social media and you’ll quickly see the mix of humour and hope.

Some users jokingly say they’re choosing “only unlucky numbers tonight,” while others claim they’ll play 13, 31 or combinations of the two just to tempt fate.

After all, as many South Africans like to say when a big jackpot hits: “You can’t win if you don’t play.”

Tuesday’s numbers: the draw that rolled over

The last draw on Tuesday, 10 March 2026, produced the following numbers:

PowerBall:
01, 05, 13, 20, 25
PowerBall: 14

PowerBall Plus:
02, 23, 27, 32, 49
PowerBall: 11

Despite thousands of players hoping for a lucky match, the jackpot remained untouched.

The reality of winning the lottery

Of course, lottery dreams come with tough odds.

To win the PowerBall jackpot, players must match five numbers from 1 to 50, plus the PowerBall number from 1 to 20.

The chance of hitting the jackpot stands at 1 in 42,310,200.

In other words, every ticket has exactly the same odds whether it’s your first time playing or your hundredth.

That means playing more often doesn’t actually improve your chances. Each draw is completely independent.

Still, the possibility of life-changing money keeps players coming back.

A jackpot far above average

The average PowerBall jackpot payout in South Africa sits at around R22 million, which means Friday’s prize is already more than six times the typical amount.

Even so, it’s not the biggest jackpot the country has seen.

That record still belongs to a staggering R232 million PowerBall payout in February 2019, which remains one of the largest lottery wins in South African history.

Lottery operator changes ahead

Another shift is also on the horizon for the country’s lottery system.

The National Lottery will soon move to a new operator, with Sizekhaya Holdings set to take over from ITHUBA in June 2026.

For now, however, ticket sales and draws continue under the current system.

Tickets for Friday’s draw will be available until 20:30, half an hour before the official 21:00 draw.

How South Africans are playing

In taxis, office tea rooms and WhatsApp groups, conversations about the jackpot have already begun.

Some people stick to family birthdays or anniversaries when choosing numbers. Others rely on quick picks and pure chance.

And then there are the players who swear by superstition lucky numbers, recurring sequences, or the mystical power of Friday the 13th.

Whether those rituals work is another story entirely.

But with R135 million on the line this Friday, plenty of South Africans are willing to take the chance.

After all, sometimes the dream of winning is half the fun.