One person is unknowingly walking around with millions waiting to be claimed. The ticket was bought at a retailer in Westville on September 20, 2025.
Image: File
If you’ve been to Westville and have an old Lotto ticket lying around, now might be a very good time to go digging.
A life-changing R8.5 million is waiting and its owner has no idea.
Now ITHUBA, the operator of the South African National Lottery, is actively searching for the winner to come forward before it expires.
The Lotto Plus 2 ticket was bought on September 20, 2025 at a retailer in Westville and in a twist that makes the mystery even more personal, the winner didn’t rely on quick-pick luck. They selected their own numbers, placing a modest wager of just R30.
However, the countdown has begun and time is running out for the winner to stake their claim from the 2578 draw.
Michelle van Trotsenburg, Head of Marketing Corporate Affairs said all winnings must be claimed within 365 days from the draw date.
“So if this ticket is not claimed by 20 September 2026, the winnings will be forfeited and goes in to the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund which is managed and distributed as good causes by the National Lotteries Commission (NLC),” said van Trotsenburg.
The winner who bought their ticket in Westville is not the only one yet to claim their prize, with several others elsewhere in South Africa also remaining unclaimed.
While an exact figure cannot be provided, van Trotsenburg said the number of unclaimed prizes fluctuates after each draw.
“We do encourage all participants to check their tickets after each draw. Over 60% of our ticket sales now go through our banking partners which offers the convenience of autopayment to winners under R249,999 directly into their bank accounts,” she said.
For now the question is: who in Westville hasn’t checked their ticket?