Alll national lottery online accounts will be shutdown in just over a month’s time, warns ITHUBA. As such, the lottery operator says all players must withdraw any remaining funds from their digital ‘wallets’ by Sunday 31 May 2026 to avoid disappointment.
This is because – and even avid Lotto players might not know this – but the national lottery as we know it is changing on Monday 1 June 2026. Government’s Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) awarded the Fourth National Lottery and Sports Pools Licence to a new operator back in May 2025.
SHUTDOWN OF NATIONAL LOTTERY ONLINE ACCOUNTS IN SOUTH AFRICA
The successful consortium taking over the lottery is Sizekhaya Holdings. As such, ITHUBA ceases all operations at the end of May 2026, hence the shutdown of any existing national lottery online accounts. There will be no carryover between the two operators.
Current operator, ITHUBA, only has a 12-month temporary licence. And it did initiate proceedings in the Pretoria High Court to stop Sizekhaya Holdings taking over its baby in 2026 due to alleged irregularities. ITHUBA claims DTIC’s Parks Tau abandoned certain scoring criteria on the bid and engaged in premature negotiations with Sizekhaya.
NEW LOTTERY IN SOUTH AFRICA FROM JUNE 2026
However, Judge Ronel Tolmay dismissed the interdict back in November 2025, saying the allegations were baseless. She also ruled that it was in the public interest of South Africans to keep the national lottery running smoothly. As such, Sizekhaya will take over in June 2026, hence closure of all national lottery online accounts linked to ITHUBA. Backed by KwaZulu-Natal businessmen, Moses Tembe and Sandile Zungu, the tender is reportedly worth R180 billion over five years.
In the meantime, Sizekhaya says its preparation for Monday 1 June 2026 is on track. It is actively recruiting staff, signing retailers and sharpening marketing campaigns. Better still, it promises to expand the lottery with new games, less rollovers and more frequent jackpots. Plus, it says it will improve accessibility through banking, retail and handheld device platforms.
MORE B2B NATIONAL LOTTERY ONLINE ACCOUNTS
Sizekhaya says it will partner with more smaller B2B SMEs, making national lottery online accounts more accessible to the poor and elderly in rural and informal areas. But only time will tell if Sizekhaya is ready to take over the multi-billion-rand operation without any hiccups. In the meantime, don’t forget to withdraw all outstanding funds from your ITHUBA national lottery online accounts before Sunday 31 May 2026.
