How to Play SA Powerball
The South African Powerball is a recent addition to the SA lotto stable (launched in 2015) and offers the chance to win a substantial jackpot. The carried over jackpot has reached more than R130 million and the excitement of each draw builds to a near frenzy.
The Powerball draws are held every Tuesday and Friday night, and together with the lottery main jackpot offers punters four chances a week to take a stake.
The South African Powerball is a recent addition to the SA lotto stable (launched in 2015) and offers the chance to win a substantial jackpot. The carried over jackpot has reached more than R130 million and the excitement of each draw builds to a near frenzy.
The Powerball draws are held every Tuesday and Friday night, and together with the lottery main jackpot offers punters four chances a week to take a stake.
A punter can go online to purchase a ticket or by visiting a convenience store, supermarket or corner café.
The price of a ticket is R5, and a punter can take as many as they can afford. The chances of winning the Powerball are 24 million to one, so predicting the correct five numbers and the power ball is pretty difficult, but certainly rewarding.
The operators have recently added the option of a Powerball Plus, which means that for an extra R2.50 the same numbers selected will entitle the punter to be in the running to win a jackpot. The prize monies for the Plus option are smaller than the main draw but still sizable enough to change lives.
The punter must choose five options between numbers 1-45 and then pick a Powerball between the numbers 1-20. An example will be 1-34-45-2-13 and Powerball 11.
The highest winning single prize was R102 million, with the winner coming from the Free State, South Africa. Amazingly that ticket went uncollected. After a year, the ticket is no longer valid.
The highest amount collected by a bettor was R91 million.
There are prizes awarded to punters who win five numbers (no Powerball), four numbers and the Powerball, four numbers, three numbers and the Powerball, three numbers, and two numbers with the Powerball.
There are also small cash prizes for correctly selecting the Powerball or Powerball Plus and one ball and the Powerball.
The average amount for selecting five numbers ranges from R100 000 to R1.1 million, while selecting four balls and the Powerball can earn a punter around R15 000.
The chances of winning the five picks with no Powerball is about 1.2 million to one.
Tickets can be purchased up to 30 minutes before the draw, which takes place live on television on a Tuesday and Friday night at 9 pm. The results are released within 24 hours.
Prize money up to R5000 can be cashed out at any retail store, while any prize above that means a trip to the local Lottery office, whereby a bank deposit will be made. This usually takes a week to clear in your bank account.