Lotto and PowerBall Payouts: How Prize Divisions Are Paid

Lotto payouts are the prize amounts paid in each division of a National Lottery draw, from the jackpot down to the smallest prize. They are not fixed: each division shares a pool among the tickets that won it, so the amount per winner changes every draw. The official Lotto and PowerBall payouts are published after each draw by the National Lottery operator, Sizekhaya Holdings, which took over from Ithuba on 1 June 2026.

This page explains how a payout table works and where to find the official one. It does not copy payout amounts, because a claim is judged only against the operator's figures.

The latest PowerBall and Lotto draws are below with the jackpot figure the results source lists for each. Use them to check your numbers, then look up the payout for your division with the operator.

How lotto payouts are worked out

Part of the money from ticket sales for each draw goes into a prize pool. The pool is split into divisions: Division 1 is the jackpot for the best possible match, and lower divisions pay for fewer matches. The game rules set which combinations make up each division and how the pool is shared among them. Within a division, every winning ticket gets the same share.

Three things follow from that design, and they explain most questions about payouts:

• The same match can pay different amounts. If many tickets share a combination, such as numbers taken from popular dates, each one gets less.
• A rollover grows the top prize. When nobody wins Division 1, its pool is carried into the next draw's jackpot.
• Payouts come after the numbers. The draw gives the winning numbers; the payout table follows once winning tickets are counted.

A shared pool, worked through

The example below uses a made-up division pool to show why the number of winners matters as much as the match. The same pool is split among one, four or ten winning tickets. The figures are invented; real pools depend on each draw's sales and are published by the operator.

PowerBall payouts and the add-on draw

PowerBall payouts follow the same logic, with the separately drawn PowerBall deciding some divisions. The add-on draw, formerly PowerBall Plus and now listed as PowerBall XTRA, is a separate draw with its own pool and its own payout table, so a line can win in the add-on and not in the main draw. Results for both are on the PowerBall results page.

News reports since the handover mention changes under Sizekhaya, including "cascading jackpots" and a higher PowerBall ticket price, but those reports were sponsored articles and we could not confirm how the changes work. If they change how prizes are split, the operator's game rules will say so.

Lotto, Lotto Plus and Daily Lotto payout tables

Lotto and its two add-ons each publish their own payout table after the Wednesday and Saturday draws, as reported. The second add-on, Lotto Plus 2, is now listed as Lotto 5 Max. Daily Lotto, reported as drawn every evening, publishes a payout table for each draw too; the results we collect list no bonus ball for it. Numbers for each game are on the Lotto Plus results and Daily Lotto results pages.

Where to find today's official payouts

For payouts from last night or any recent draw, go to the source:

1. The operator's website, sizekhaya.co.za, which calls itself the home of the National Lottery, and its official channels.
2. An authorised lottery retailer, where the terminal can check a ticket.
3. News sites and results sites, which copy the operator's table. Useful, but check any figure that matters against the original.

The old nationallottery.co.za address did not load on 1 November 2026. Be careful with sites using similar names, and never pay anyone to "release" a prize.

Claiming a lottery prize under Sizekhaya

Where a prize is paid, at a retailer or with the operator, the documents you need and any deadline for claims are all set by the operator, and we could not find a current source for them under Sizekhaya. Before you travel with a winning ticket, read the claims section of the operator's site or call it, and keep the ticket flat, dry and safe until it is paid.

Tax on lottery winnings

South African tax advisers say winnings of occasional players are generally treated as windfall gains and not taxed as income, while professional gamblers can be taxed. We found no SARS ruling that settles every case. A 15% withholding tax on winnings over R25,000 was proposed in the 2011 Budget and never implemented, so sites that say it applies are wrong. For a large win, speak to SARS or a tax practitioner; our gambling tax guide sets out what is and is not confirmed.

When a payout changes how you play

National Lottery tickets are for people aged 18 and over only. A small win can feel like a reason to buy more tickets, and a big rollover can pull in spending you had not planned. Keep the same budget whatever the jackpot. If tickets have become hard to control, our responsible gambling page lists confidential help.