South Africa’s fourth national lottery licence has been awarded to a consortium led by betting and gaming operator GoldRush.

The licence was awarded on 28 May to Sizekhaya Holdings by South Africa’s Department for Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC).

Sizekhaya is 50 per cent owned by GoldRush Group, although the company will now reduce its shareholding to 40 per cent through the transfer of a 10 per cent stake to a government entity that will be determined by the DTIC.

The Sizekhaya consortium also includes Chinese lottery supplier Genlot, which powers China’s Sports and Welfare lotteries and was a part of the Lotex consortium in Brazil that won the country’s national instant ticket contract in November.

The fourth national lottery licence competition in South Africa has been mired in delays and legal challenges.

Sizekhaya replaces incumbent lottery operator Ithuba, whose licence expires tomorrow. It has operated the lottery since 2015.

In order to prevent a halt in lottery sales, Ithuba has been granted a temporary licence by the DTIC from 1 June, which the Hight Court of Guateng recently reduced from one year to five months after ruling that it was unconstitutional, as Ithuba was the only company that could qualify for the temporary licence. 

The legal challenge was brought by Wina Njalo, one of the unsuccessful bidders for the lottery licence.

The DTIC’s temporary licence was due to run until 31 May 2026, giving Sizekhaya time to take over the national lottery and ensuring that it is financially feasible for Ithuba to operate under the temporary licence.

“As I indicated previously, I intended to announce the successful bidder on 28 May 2025 provided that the licence agreement negotiations with the preferred bidder were successfully concluded. I wish to thank the parties to the negotiations for completing their work in time,” said DTIC Minister Parks Tau.

“It is most unfortunate that this matter has already become the subject of litigation and a judgment of the High Court. I am seeking legal advice with a view to appealing against the judgment’s findings and orders, and I reserve all my rights concerning this judgment. 

“With due respect to the Honourable High Court, my announcement is the result of my undertaking made to the bidders and the Court before the hearing of the application.”

Minister Tau added: “This ends a long and difficult process of evaluating eight applications for the fourth licence. I appreciate that this has been an enormous and complex endeavour. I wish to thank the Board and staff of the NLC and all those who were involved in this arduous exercise.”

GoldRush said “the selection of Sizekhaya is a testament to the depth and agility of the Goldrush management team in obtaining and managing gaming operations in South Africa. Sizekhaya, which means ‘We are coming home’, represents the culmination of years of hard work by the consortium members, which include Genlot, an operator of some of the largest lotteries in the world.”

Genlot described the licence award as a milestone in the company’s commitment to innovation, integrity, and community impact.

“Together with Sizekhaya and the National Lotteries Commission (NLC), we hundred percent believe we can deliver and implement an advanced localized Lottery platform to SA and we’re honoured to contribute much more!

“A heartfelt thanks to the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, the NLC, and all stakeholders for their trust,” Genlot concluded. “We look forward to a transformative journey ahead!”

Sizekhaya has been awarded an eight-year licence to operate the national lottery but it is unclear when it will take effect.