Ithuba Holdings (RF) (Pty) Ltd, the officially appointed temporary licence holder of the National Lottery, has taken proactive steps to clarify several misleading statements regarding the transition to its new lottery operating system that is set to take effect on June 1.

These statements come in light of claims made in a recent news article.

The company asserts that their transition has been executed efficiently and in accordance with the established transition plan, crediting the process as one of the most effective system transitions in both local and global lottery operations.

“Our transition has featured a seamless integration across all major banking partners, including FNB, Capitec, Standard Bank, Nedbank, Absa, and others. Additionally, the new system boasts full functionality across mobile and telecom networks, with major players like MTN and Vodacom fully onboard,” Ithuba said in a statement. 

Furthermore, Ithuba reported that all e-commerce platforms, including the National Lottery website, mobile app, and USSD services, are fully operational, serving over 250,000 devices nationwide.

While acknowledging that isolated technical adjustments were necessary at specific retail sites, a standard aspect of any large-scale technological transition, Ithuba emphasised that these incidents were logged, monitored, and promptly addressed by trained field teams.

“We extend our sincere appreciation to our National Lottery partners—retailers, technical vendors, banking institutions, and telecom networks—whose support has been critical in allowing South Africans to continue enjoying their favourite lottery games during this significant transition,” the company stated.

In response to concerns raised by retailers, Ithuba maintains that reports of countrywide outages or pervasive failures are exaggerated.

The company has reiterated its commitment to providing retailer support and ensuring technical teams are consistently available to offer on-the-ground assistance.

Addressing concerns over software ownership, Ithuba highlighted that the Paytronix Lottery System is Africa’s first locally developed and fully certified lottery system, meeting the highest global standards, including ISO and World Lotteries Association (WLA) security certifications.

This innovation positions South Africa at the forefront of lottery technology in the region.

Ithuba took particular issue with insinuations of impropriety linked to family associations within their operations, labelling such claims as speculative and misleading.

“These distract from the significant performance merits of our new system,” they said.

As the interim operator of the National Lottery, Ithuba is committed to making meaningful contributions to good causes across South Africa while upholding the highest standards of responsible gaming.

The company encourages media stakeholders to report responsibly and refrain from amplifying isolated incidents or unfounded speculation without robust factual basis.

IOL

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