Somewhere in Sydney, Australia a person is walking around with a ticket worth roughly R1.2 billion.
They probably do not know it yet. And given the suburb where it was bought, there is a very real chance they are one of us.
In June 2025, a single ticket holder won the entire A$100 million PowerBall jackpot in draw 1517.
The ticket was purchased at Bondi Junction Newsagency on Oxford Street. Months later, the winner has still not come forward.
The Lott, Australia’s official lottery operator, has even sent runners pounding the pavements of Bondi Junction in a “memory jog” to try and prompt the elusive winner to check their pockets.
Why the South African angle is not far-fetched
Here is where it gets interesting for South Africans.
Bondi and Bondi Junction are quite famously full of South Africans.
According to local census data, around 2.5% of Bondi residents and 2% of Bondi Junction residents were born in South Africa.
That puts South Africa among the top five countries of birth in the area.
Australia is home to roughly 190 000 South African-born residents.
A significant chunk of them have settled in Sydney’s eastern suburbs over the past three decades.
The owner of Bondi Junction Newsagency himself said the winner could even be a tourist, given the shop’s proximity to the closest train station to Bondi Beach.
So picture the scene: A South African expat picks up a few groceries and a Powerball ticket on the way to the beach. Or a Joburg gran visiting her grandchildren in Sydney grabs one for fun. Or a Cape Town family on holiday throws a few dollars on a ticket while sightseeing.
Any of them could be sitting on R1.2 billion right now.
What that ticket is actually worth in rands
At today’s exchange rate, A$100 million converts to roughly R1.2 billion.
Australian lottery winnings, much like South African ones, are completely tax-free.
So whoever is holding that ticket would walk away with the full amount. No deductions. No clever accountant required.
For comparison, the largest single-ticket South African lottery win sits well below this figure. So if a Saffer is indeed the winner, they would instantly become one of the wealthiest South African lottery winners in history, even if they technically won it abroad.
How long do they have to claim it?
Winners in New South Wales have six years to claim their prize. So even if the ticket is sitting in a kitchen drawer or stuck behind a fridge magnet right now, there is still plenty of time.
The Lott has been actively trying to track the winner down, but without a registered ticket, they have no way of contacting them directly.
Time to call the family in Sydney
If you have family in Sydney, particularly in Bondi, Bondi Junction, Coogee or Randwick, this might be worth a phone call.
Ask if anyone bought a Powerball ticket in early June 2025. Ask if they checked it.
The winning numbers were 28, 10, 3, 16, 31, 14 and 21. The Powerball number was 6.
Could a South African really be Australia’s mystery multi-millionaire?
Stranger things have happened. And given how many South Africans call Bondi home, it would not be the most surprising plot twist.
So go on. Send that WhatsApp to your cousin in Sydney. You never know.
What’s the first thing you’d buy if you hit the PowerBall jackpot BIG-time?
Let us know by clicking on the comment banner below …
