How to Play PowerBall
PowerBall draws take place every Tuesday and Friday evening, offering you the chance to win jackpots that can reach more than R100 million. Discover the latest PowerBall results, as well as information on how to play and the prizes you could win.
PowerBall draws are scheduled for approximately 21:00 on Tuesdays and Fridays, with ticket sales closing 30 minutes before each draw. To play, choose five numbers between 1 and 50, plus a PowerBall number between 1 and 20, with the aim of matching your numbers to the winning ones drawn in the lottery. Here is how to enter PowerBall through a retailer or online:
Online
- Open an online lottery account and deposit funds into it.
- On the first board, choose five numbers between 1 and 50, then one PowerBall number from 1 to 20.
- Repeat for as many boards as you would like to play.
- Select how many draws you want to enter.
- Confirm and pay for your entry.
In-Store
- Visit any authorised lottery retailer and collect a PowerBall betslip.
- If you would also like to enter PowerBall Plus, check the “PowerBall Plus” box at the top of the slip.
- Starting with board A, mark five numbers between 1 and 50 in the first grid, and then mark one number between 1 and 20 in the second grid. You can also opt for a random set of numbers by checking the "Quick Pick" box.
- Do the same for as many boards as you want to play.
- Choose the number of draws you would like to enter by marking one of the boxes at the top of the betslip. You do not have to do this if you are entering just one draw.
- Take your betslip to a retail assistant and pay for your entries.
- Write your name on the back of the receipt you are given.
PowerBall entries cost R5 per board, with the supplementary PowerBall Plus game costing an additional R2.50. There are other ways to play PowerBall, including through your cell phone and even through certain participating banks. Visit the How to Play section to find out more.
Prizes and Odds of Winning
You must match all five numbers and the PowerBall to win the jackpot, but you can win a prize even for just matching the PowerBall on its own. The table below shows how many numbers you need to match to win in each prize division, as well as the odds of winning:
| Prize Division | Numbers Matched | Odds of Winning* | Percentage of Prize Pool | Average Prize for the past 365 days' draws |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 + PowerBall | 1 in 42,375,200 | 70.73% | R46,202,015.25 |
| 2 | 5 | 1 in 2,230,274 | 5.19% | R272,681.55 |
| 3 | 4 + PowerBall | 1 in 188,334 | 3.25% | R16,794.85 |
| 4 | 4 | 1 in 9,912 | 5.51% | R1,053.08 |
| 5 | 3 + PowerBall | 1 in 4,280 | 6.23% | R504.80 |
| 6 | 3 | 1 in 225 | 5.19% | R21.93 |
| 7 | 2 + PowerBall | 1 in 299 | 3.9% | R21.81 |
| 8 | 1 + PowerBall | 1 in 57 | Fixed R15 | R15.00 |
| 9 | PowerBall Only | 1 in 35 | Fixed R10 | R10.00 |
The prizes in the eighth and ninth division are fixed at R15 and R10 respectively. The prizes in the upper seven divisions are pari-mutuel, meaning each division receives a percentage of the total Prize Pool. Fixed prizes are paid out first, with the remainder of the Prize Pool divided between the seven other divisions according to the percentages in the table. The value of a prize in these divisions can vary, depending on how many winners there are and how much money is in the Prize Pool.
Do you think you’ve won a PowerBall prize? Visit the How to Claim page to find out more about claiming prizes, whether you played online, with your bank or through a retailer.
FAQ
Find out more about PowerBall in the frequently asked questions below. Visit the general FAQs page for more information about playing lotteries in South Africa.
The winning PowerBall numbers are drawn at approximately 21:00 every Tuesday and Friday.
PowerBall costs R5 per board and PowerBall Plus costs an additional R2.50 to play.
PowerBall was introduced in 2009 by then-lottery operator Gidani as another opportunity for players to win multi-million rand prizes. The first draw took place on 23rd October that year, with a R30 million jackpot on offer – which was won that very draw.
The record for the highest ever PowerBall jackpot was set in February 2019, when a man from Capetown matched all five main numbers and the PowerBall to win R232 million. He chose to remain anonymous; the only information revealed about the winner was that he was a man in his fifties who worked in a blue collar job.