Three days after assuming responsibility for operating the National Lottery, Sizekhaya Holdings says it is encouraged by strong player participation, a positive public response to its refreshed lottery offering and the creation of the first National Lottery PowerBall multi-millionaire under its stewardship.

A KwaZulu-Natal player won Tuesday night's estimated R128 million PowerBall jackpot. The winning ticket was purchased at a retail store in the province.

While the transition to Sizekhaya from the previous operator has generally proceeded smoothly, a small number of players experienced difficulties purchasing tickets through certain banking and digital channels during the first days of operation.

The issues were identified quickly and are being resolved in partnership with banking and retail stakeholders.

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"The vast majority of lottery transactions have been processed successfully and we continue to see steady improvement across all channels," says Sizekhaya Chief Operating Officer Fundi Sithebe.

Since assuming operation of the National Lottery on 1 June, Sizekhaya has activated a national retail network of more than 5 500 terminals, trained more than 10 000 retail personnel, expanded access through new retail and banking partnerships, and successfully introduced a refreshed National Lottery offering that includes larger jackpots and improved odds for players.

The launch has also marked the return of live National Lottery draws to television screens, with Tuesday night's PowerBall draw broadcast live on eTV.

"Response from players, retailers and partners has been overwhelmingly positive and demonstrates the enduring place that the National Lottery occupies in...