How to Play Powerball in South Africa | Learn How To Win & Where To Bet Online
Do you want to play Powerball online in South Africa? Read our guide and find the best betting site to bet on Powerball today!
What Is Powerball in South Africa?
Powerball is a lottery format where players pick several main numbers plus an extra “Powerball” from a separate pool. For example, in South Africa, you choose 5 numbers from 1–50 and one PowerBall from 1–20, with draws held twice weekly and payouts varying by division.
It has been a popular form of online lottery in South Africa for over ten years. South African players are particularly attracted to the game, with payout pools having a variety of divisions and fun selections. Powerball has made lucky winners millionaires, thereby attracting many people to play it not only in South Africa but also around the world.
The prize pools of Powerball in Africa do not reach those in Western countries because of the economic differences. Nonetheless, the first draw was done in 2009, resulting in a whopping R30,000,000 win for the winner. Eventually, the jackpot rolled over various times, and the potential prize rose to R91,068,427 in 2010. This figure is a record that stands up to date. In June 2018, South Africa’s Powerball changed the number of drawn balls from 45 to 50. Powerball is a lottery format where players pick several main numbers plus an extra “Powerball” from a separate pool
How To Play Powerball Online in South Africa
Playing Powerball online is made easy thanks to betting sites in South Africa. All you need to do is register an account, deposit money into your account, and pick the numbers to bet on for Powerball.
If you are not familiar with a betting site, see our step-by-step guide below:
- Register with a lottery betting site
- Fund your account
- Open LuckyNumbers
- Select one of the Powerball options
- Pick your betting market
- Pick your numbers
- Confirm your bet
- Wait for the result
1 - Register with a lottery betting site.
2 - Fund your account. Lottery betting sites accept local banking options and South African vouchers.
3 - Open LuckyNumbers. Depending on the betting site, they call it a bit differently.
4 - Select one of the Powerball options. You will find Powerball options from different countries.
5 - Pick your betting market. Betting sites offer more than just picking the correct numbers.
6 - Pick your numbers. You can use Hot/Cold or quick picks for random numbers or choose manually.
7 - Confirm your bet. Open your betslip and check your stake before you purchase your bet.
8 - Wait for the result. If your bet is correct, you will have won money after the result!
How To Win on Powerball South Africa
The traditional way to win on Powerball is to match 1 to 4 numbers plus Powerball (bonus ball). It's the easiest bet to understand. You can also choose to bet without the bonus ball.
Powerball Winning Probability
Different matches have different prizes and different odds of winning. The prizes differ for every draw. They depend on whether the requirements for winning the jackpot were achieved and the number of players who won. It also depends on the number of tickets sold.
| Winning Matches | Share of the Prize Pool | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 5 correct + PB | 54.46% | 1 in 42,375,200 |
| 5 | 4.00% | 1 in 2,230,274 |
| 4/5 + PB | 2.50% | 1 in 188,334 |
| 4/5 | 4.24% | 1 in 9,912 |
| 3/5 + PB | 4.80% | 1 in 4,280 |
| 3/5 | 4.00% | 1 in 225 |
| 2/5 + PB | 3.00% | 1 in 299 |
| 1/5 + PB | fixed R15 | 1 in 57 |
| 0/5 + PB | fixed R10 | 1 in 35 |
The two payout divisions that are fixed are when a player gets results such as a 0 out of 5 or 1 out of 5 with Powerball. When players match all the numbers, they win the jackpot, as shown in the table. There are instances where this might change as you move down the table.Â
All the jackpot prizes are rounded to the nearest R1. Therefore, a player can win once in every entry filled with numbers that match the Powerball drawings. The exact jackpot rollover is identified on the day of the draw. The other payouts are rounded to the nearest 10 cents.
There is a decreasing likelihood of winning when the price is higher as you move up the table. This shows that it is more difficult to win the Powerball jackpot than the Lotto, and therefore, gamble responsibly.
More Ways to Win on Powerball Betting
Online betting sites allow you to bet on more than just number matches. This is because you are betting on the outcome rather than actually buying lottery tickets. They offer betting markets like unlucky numbers, bonus ball's value, odd/even balls, etc. These betting options don't necessarily require you to pick the correct number, but rather are tied to the results.
Unlucky Numbers: You bet that your balls will not be drawn.
Bonus Ball: You bet if the Powerball is odd/even, single digit, etc.
Odd/Even Balls: You bet on whether there will be odd/even balls and how many.
Lowest/Highest: You bet if the lowest/highest ball will be under/over a specific value.
Divisible: You bet if any of the balls will be divisible by a specific value.
The collection of betting markets varies from one betting site to another. The above example is from YesPlay's Lucky Numbers.
When To Play Powerball
The Powerball draws take place on Tuesdays and Fridays at 9.00 PM, with jackpots having the potential of exceeding R100,000,000.
Tickets are available for purchase every day. However, the ticket sales close 30 minutes before the draw begins and reopen after the draw ends for the next game. This means that people can only play 30 minutes before every draw, whether online or offline.
Where To Play Powerball Online in South Africa
To play Powerball online, many users choose National Lottery or use supported banking apps (ABSA, FNB, Standard Bank, Nedbank), USSD, or the Ithuba websites (wallet or mobi). However, BettingGuide prefer going for betting sites to bet on Powerball as they tend to offer more betting options than the said platforms. Here, we picked the best lottery betting sites in South Africa that also offer lottery betting apps to download on Android/Huawei/iOS devices!
#1 Powerball Betting Site - Betfred
Betfred is a strong choice for PowerBall bettors because it combines local PowerBall coverage with lottery-focused promotions, regulatory licensing and good usability.
Big, lotto‑specific promotions are the standout, and most notably the Nifty50 campaign (win up to R5,000,000 from a R1 stake) and regular reload/bonus offers, which boost potential returns and value for small stakes.
Generous free‑bet/bonus packages for lotto players (e.g. up to R150 in free bets on Lucky Numbers) are also appreciated, with clear turnover and expiry terms shown in the review.
Android users can download the Betfred app on their smartphones and tablets and enjoy Powerball there, too.
Pros
- Secure & Fastest Payments!
- Various Lottery Promotions
- Licensed in South Africa
Get Up to R150 in Free Bet on Lucky Numbers
| Min. Deposit | - |
|---|---|
| Max. Amount | R15,000 |
| Turnover | 4x |
| Expiration | 7 days |
#2 Powerball Betting Site - YesPlay
YesPlay is a strong choice for betting on South African PowerBall for having lottery‑specific features, good value promotions, low entry cost and regulatory licensing.
You cannot miss their generous 10% weekly cashback on Lucky Numbers losses (for losses over R100), which returns value to regular lotto players. Cashback and some bonus rules include sensible qualifying criteria (losses must be at odds ≥ 2.0 to count), so the promotion targets more considered bets.
You can also download the YesPlay app on iOS/Android devices.
Pros
- 200+ lotteries & Rapid Lottery
- Lottery welcome bonus + cashback
- Licensed in South Africa
Get 10% Weekly Cashback on Lucky Numbers
| Min. Deposit | R5 |
|---|---|
| Max. Amount | - |
| Turnover | 3x (Sticky) |
| Expiration | - |
#3 Powerball Betting Site - 10Bet
10bet is a good place to bet on PowerBall because it supports lottery betting via its Lucky Numbers product and makes Lotto play accessible with a usable welcome bonus and wide device support.
10bet’s South Africa welcome offer can be used on Lucky Numbers (100% up to R3,000), so new players can fund lotto bets with bonus funds. Moreover, Lucky Numbers counts 100% toward the bonus rollover, so lotto stakes contribute fully to meeting the wagering requirement.
10bet's app is available for Android, iOS and Huawei, so you can install and play from most phones.
Pros
- 150+ lottery markets
- Welcome bonus for Lucky Numbers
- Accepts crypto & Licensed in South Africa!
100% up to R3 000 Welcome Bonus for Lucky Numbers
| Min. Deposit | R20 |
|---|---|
| Max. Amount | R3,000 |
| Turnover | 40x |
| Expiration | 30 days |
FAQs
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Yusaku is an editor and fact-checker at BettingGuide. He has worked for a few online casino operators in customer support, management and marketing roles since 2020. His few years of hands-on experience in casino operation and expertise in the iGaming industry help see through the qualities of online gambling sites and create honest reviews. If you have any questions about online gambling, please feel free to contact him.