Sizekhaya takes over National Lottery: what’s changed and when live draws resume

Sizekhaya officially took over the National Lottery on 1 June 2026, replacing Ithuba under an eight-year licence and marking the start of a new operating regime for the games, according to The South African.

Opening night and jackpot totals

According to The South African, jackpots for Sizekhaya’s first draw stood at R130 million for PowerBall and R110 million for PowerBall Xtra a combined total of R240 million. Sizekhaya’s first live televised draws under its management were scheduled to begin on 2 June 2026, the outlet reported.

Licence value and operator promises

According to The South African, the Sizekhaya tender was reported at approximately R180 billion. The new operator has said it will modernise draws and restore live televised events, The South African reported.

Game mechanics and rule changes

Several format changes were reported by The South African:

• PowerBall format: players select 5 numbers from 1 to 50, plus one number from 1 to 16.
• Lotto format: players select 6 numbers from 1 to 52.
• Ball pool sizes: Lotto balls were reduced from 58 to 52, and the PowerBall pool dropped from a maximum of 20 to 16.

New names and add-ons

According to The South African, PowerBall Plus has been renamed PowerBall Xtra. The previous Lotto Plus 2 was reported to have been replaced by a new add-on called 5 Max.

Ticket prices

The South African reports the following price changes under Sizekhaya:

• PowerBall: R10 per ticket
• PowerBall Xtra: R5 per entry
• Lotto: R5 per entry
• Daily Lotto: R3 per play
• 5 Max add-on: R2.50

Cascading jackpot system

According to The South African, Sizekhaya introduced a new “cascading jackpot” mechanism designed to ensure jackpots are won at least once a month. If there is no top-division winner, the jackpot amount cascades down to prize tiers 1 through 3, and then through lower divisions until it is claimed, the report said.

Live draws return

The South African reports that Sizekhaya reinstated live televised draws, with the first live PowerBall and PowerBall Xtra draw under the new operator set for 2 June 2026.

Operator statement

The South African attributed the following comment to Sizekhaya chairperson Moses Tembe:

“We are not only operating a business. We are acting as custodians of a national institution. Every ticket sold contributes to organisations, initiatives and people working every day to build a stronger South Africa.”