Man United fan who bagged R163m Powerball jackpot plans to watch his favourite team play overseas

A devoted Manchester United fan from the Western Cape who has bagged a Powerball jackpot of more than R163m plans to finally watch his favourite team play overseas.

“My children and I are all fans of Manchester. I’ve always dreamt of watching them live, and now we can. But I’m not telling them about the win, they must continue working hard and remain disciplined,” he said.

The man also plans to surprise his wife with a well-deserved overseas girls’ trip with her sisters, something she has long wished for.

The lucky winner purchased his R30 ticket through the Nedbank banking app using manually selected numbers, a combination inspired by the birth dates of his loved ones.

“I usually play using Quick Pick.

“So I bought one Quick Pick ticket as I always do, and then another one where I chose numbers that mean something special to me. The morning after the draw, I received a notification saying I had won R10. Later that morning, on my way to work, I got a call from the bank informing me that I had won a substantial amount on PowerBall. Because of that R10 message, I didn’t take the call seriously at first. When I finally logged into my app at work, there it was — the message that I had won big and needed to contact ITHUBA to begin the claiming process,” he said.

The winner admitted that keeping the news to himself was no small feat.

“I didn’t tell anyone, not even my colleagues. One of them even bought me lunch the next day, little did they know I was R163m richer. I had to bite my lip to keep from smiling. I’ll still accept their lunches, but now I’ll also be buying lunch for everyone more often,” said the new millionaire.

Overwhelmed with joy, the winner described the moment as life-changing, not only for himself but for his family’s future.

“I am so excited beyond words. As parents, we often put pressure on our children to get things right the first time because we want them to do better than we did. This win gives my children a sense of grace, the freedom to dream, to try different things, and even if something doesn’t work out, they’ll still be fine and have the liberty to try again.”

He also plans to use his winnings to ease life for his family and relatives.

“We come from humble beginnings. As for my wife, I’ll buy her the best coffee machine on the market, I know she’d prefer a live-in barista, but the coffee machine will have to do.”

ITHUBA CEO Charmaine Mabuza congratulated the winner.

“The selflessness of this winner truly moved me. He thought first about his family and how to uplift others before thinking of himself. We are happy for him and the community that will benefit from his giving spirit,” said Mabuza.

When asked what two things he’d like to do for himself, with a smile the man said he has always wanted to take swimming lessons and learn to play a musical instrument.

“Sadly, not even R163m can turn my wife into a singer, so she won’t be joining my band,” he quipped.

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