Sol Phenduka reacts to jackpot win
The recent announcement of an unprecedented PowerBall jackpot win has created significant excitement among South Africans, with broadcaster Sol Phenduka providing a response that caught widespread attention on social media.
Lottery operator Ithuba disclosed that an individual ticket holder claimed an impressive R178,955,240 in the PowerBall draw on Tuesday, 20 January 2026.
The fortunate winner matched the numbers 2, 3, 16, 17, and 35, with the PowerBall number being 5, making it one of the largest jackpots recorded in the game.
Additionally, two other players who correctly matched five numbers received R425,827 each.
As the news spread online, users expressed their astonishment at the substantial amount.
A Twitter user, @Lush_Beauty1, shared a screenshot of the announcement and commented: “Imagine winning so much money 😭,” reflecting the sentiment of many across the nation.
However, the initial celebration took a different turn when Sol Phenduka offered his perspective.
<pOn Thursday, 22 January 2026, the media figure posed a critical question that ignited considerable discussion.
“In a country with so much corruption, they’ll give 179 million to a random?” he commented.
In a country with so much corruption , they’ll give 179 million to a random ? https://t.co/N4z7cGkxuh
— Thandubuntu (@Solphendukaa) January 22, 2026
