Westville’s unclaimed R8.5 million: The clock is down to six weeks
This Westville unclaimed R8.5 million Lotto mystery is still waiting for its ending. Somewhere in Westville, KwaZulu-Natal, there is a Lotto ticket worth R8…
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This Westville unclaimed R8.5 million Lotto mystery is still waiting for its ending.
Somewhere in Westville, KwaZulu-Natal, there is a Lotto ticket worth R8 544 310 just sitting in a drawer, a jacket pocket, or an old pair of jeans.
And the person who bought it still has no idea.
Ticket bought nearly a year ago
Someone bought the winning Lotto Plus 2 ticket on 20 September 2025 at a retailer in Westville. They skipped Quick Pick entirely, choosing their own numbers for a modest R30 wager.
The ticket was bought under ITHUBA, the National Lottery’s operator at the time, before Sizekhaya took over on 1 June 2026.
I first wrote about this ticket back in June, when the mystery of Westville’s unclaimed winner first came to light.
Sizekhaya now oversees all unclaimed prize claims from that era, including this one, which means the prize is still very much valid, and still very much unclaimed.
Westville unclaimed R8.5 million: Why the next six weeks matter
South African Lotto winners have 365 days from the draw date to come forward.
For this ticket, that clock runs out on 20 September 2026, which leaves roughly six weeks for someone to realise what they are sitting on.
Miss that date, and the money moves into the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund instead of a winner’s bank account.
If you shopped at Westville Mall or a nearby tobacco shop around that date last September, it is worth digging through old receipts and forgotten tickets before that window closes for good.
Anyone who thinks they might be the winner can visit their nearest National Lottery retailer or a Sizekhaya regional office to have their ticket validated, since prizes above R50 000 require an in-person claim.
I always find stories like this Westville unclaimed R8.5 million case a little bittersweet, someone out there is six weeks away from either a completely different life or a prize slipping away forever.
Do you always check old tickets before throwing them out?
Let us know in the comments below …
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