Lotto winner claims R834,000 prize on final day after ignoring dozens of calls

A woman from the Western Cape narrowly avoided losing more than R834,000 in Lotto winnings after ignoring dozens of phone calls, arriving at an Ithuba office on the last day her ticket could legally be claimed. “I couldn’t believe it. I had gone from attending a funeral to claiming over R800,000 on the very same day.

It was emotional, overwhelming and completely unexpected,” she said. The ticket was bought on February 5 2025 through the Absa banking app, using the quick pick selection method with a R600 wager. The ticket was due to expire exactly one year later on Thursday.

The last day it could be claimed, the winner arrived at lottery operator Ithuba offices after answering a call informing her the ticket was expiring that day. According to Ithuba, on the day of the claim the winner had attended a funeral, and throughout the day her phone rang repeatedly, showing more than 30 missed calls. She ignored them, assuming they were spam or robocalls.

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The winner admits she has developed a habit of ignoring calls from unknown numbers because many of them are automated and scams. The reality sank in when she eventually answered a call and was informed that her ticket was expiring that day, and that she needed to urgently visit an Ithuba office. She recalls that shortly after taking communion at the funeral, she felt an overwhelming sense of calm and peace.

“At first, I didn’t believe it. I honestly thought it was a scam. Even my husband told me it couldn’t be real,” she said. Having retired about 18 months ago, the winner says the timing of the win feels deeply meaningful.

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