Pretoria: Trade, Industry and Competition Minister, Parks Tau, has appointed Ithuba Holdings (RF) (Pty) Ltd as the temporary national lottery and sports pool operator for 12 months. This decision follows the announcement of Sizekhaya Holdings (RF) (Pty) Ltd as the fourth national lottery and sports pools operator, whose appointment will take effect on 1 June 2026.

According to South African Government News Agency, the appointment of Ithuba Holdings is a result of the advice from the National Lotteries Commission. The Minister emphasized the importance of a seamless transition from the third to the fourth national lottery and sports pool licence operations. To facilitate this transition, a temporary licensee was deemed necessary under section 13B of the Lotteries Act, 1997. The temporary licence granted to Ithuba Holdings will be effective from 1 June 2025 for a duration of 12 months.

The temporary licence ensures that lottery operations continue uninterrupted during the transition period. The Minister also
addressed a recent High Court judgment dated 21 May 2025, which questioned the validity of the Temporary Licence Request for Proposal (RFP). Despite this, the court acknowledged the public interest in maintaining lottery operations to support charitable causes. Another court ruling on 30 May 2025 affirmed the Minister’s authority to appoint a temporary licensee.

The Minister reiterated his commitment to ensuring that National Lottery operations remain uninterrupted and continue to support worthy causes during the transition to the fourth licence operations.