Cape Town - The winner of the PowerBall PLUS R16 million jackpot prize says she wishes to use her fortune to be a blessing she's always wished for to others.
The jackpot winner is a 47-year-old woman from Bontheuwel, Cape Town.
The ecstatic mother of three, who until recently stayed in a backyard shack with her elderly mother, two of her children and grandchildren, says she found out that she was a winner through the draw show on TV.
But at the time, she did not comprehend just how much she had won.
“I am a regular player of PowerBall and LOTTO and whenever I play, I watch the draw show on TV to see if I’m a winner. On July 13, I asked my daughter to check my ticket for me.
"She came to me and told me that I was a winner and I just said ‘Okay, I will go check how much I have won at a retail store tomorrow.’ The following day, I sent my daughter to go check my ticket as I had to go to work. While at work, my daughter called me and told me that I was actually a millionaire.
"I could not believe it, I went to my supervisor and asked her if I could leave work early on that day. I told her what was happening, that I had to go make sure my ticket was safe,” relayed the winner.
National Lottery operator, Ithuba, then arranged for the winner to travel to their Johannesburg head office to claim her winnings.
Once in Johannesburg, the woman opted to not go back to Cape Town.
“I have lived in a shack for many years and I have always prayed for a decent roof over my head. I am not going back to that life”, she said of the move.
Sharing future plans, the Cape woman says she plans to also buy houses for her two sons in addition to her own, where she will stay with her mother, daughter and grandchildren.
She also says she has plans that will help brighten up her family’s future.
“My daughter completed her matric but we had no money for her to study beyond that. We have already drawn up a budget that includes sending her back to school to study for a qualification of her dreams.”
When asked if she plans on ever working again, the woman replied: “I have been working since I was 16 years old, I have never stopped, now is my time to rest. I received good financial advice today, I will invest some of my winnings and live off of the interest. I want to also get a makeover, I want a new life
altogether.”
The winner also expressed her desire to donate some money to charity.
“I don’t ever want to forget where I come from. There were times where I wished for someone to help me during my struggles. I want to be a blessing I’ve always wished for to other people”, she concluded.