Saturday Lotto and Lotto Plus jackpot for 15 August totals R18 million

Saturday’s lottery draws on 15 August carry a combined prize pool of R18 million, split across three games, according to The South African. The straight Lotto stands at R13 million, Lotto Plus 1 at R1.5 million and Lotto Plus Max 5 at R3.5 million.

Rollovers and recent changes

According to The South African, this is the first game in a while that benefits from rollovers across the board. The operator Sizekhaya’s takeover on 1 June 2026 has reshaped the game, the publication reports.

How the game works and ticket costs

According to The South African, players choose six numbers from a reduced pool of 1 to 52 (down from 1 to 58 previously). A standard Lotto board costs R5; adding Lotto Plus 1 is an additional R2.50 and Lotto Plus Max 5 adds a further R2.50, so playing all three together costs R10 per board.

Multiplay (MP1) option

According to The South African, the new MultiPlay (MP1) option lets players add a seventh number to their existing six in each of the three games. If you add MP1 across all boards the total combination costs R70 split as R35, R17.50 and R17.50. The publication also notes that using a banking app may incur a digital banking fee of about R2.95 on the transaction.

Odds after the changes

According to The South African, the chance of matching all six numbers now sits at 1 in 20 million, compared with the old 1 in 40 million under ITHUBA. Adding MP1 and playing seven numbers reduces the odds to 1 in 2.9 million, which the publication describes as a sevenfold improvement.

Draw times and claiming winnings

According to The South African, Lotto and Lotto Plus draws happen twice weekly at 21:00, with ticket sales typically cutting off half an hour before the draw at 20:30. All lottery prizes must be claimed within 365 days of the draw date.

How and where winnings are claimed depends on the prize amount, according to The South African:

• Small prizes (up to R4 999) are paid at licensed retailers.
• Mid-tier prizes (R5 000 to R49 999) can be claimed at selected partner banks.
• Prizes above R50 000 require an in-person visit to a Sizekhaya regional office with the original ticket and a valid South African ID.
• Online and banking-app players have prizes up to R249 999 deposited automatically into their accounts.

Where to get help and regional offices

According to The South African, Sizekhaya’s new offices are based in Sandton, Gauteng. Anyone unsure where to start can call the Sizekhaya helpline on 0861 026 000. The publication lists eight regional offices nationally:

• Head Office/Gauteng: 36 Homestead Road, Edenburg, Sandton
• KwaZulu-Natal: 10 Rydall Vale Crescent, Umhlanga Ridge
• Western Cape: 1st Floor, The Barracks, 50 Bree Street, Cape Town
• Eastern Cape: 153 Cape Road, Newton Park, Port Elizabeth
• Free State & Northern Cape: 3 Barnes Street, Arboretum, Bloemfontein
• Limpopo: Gateway Park, Polokwane
• Mpumalanga: 29@Marloth, Nelspruit

Unclaimed prizes

According to The South African, around R257 million in lottery prizes from the previous operator currently sits unclaimed across South Africa.

Decide on a budget before buying tickets and remember the claim rules and cutoff times when playing the Saturday Lotto and Lotto Plus draws on 15 August, according to The South African.