Gaming the Lottery
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South Africa
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Who’s received money from lottery, how much and when? Use this tool to find out.

Since the first grants to “good causes” were made by the South African Lottery in 2002, thousands of organisations have received funding of over R22-billion.

Lists of successful funding applications are published each year in the annual reports of the National Lottery Commission (NLC). There are four categories under which grants are awarded: Charities, Arts, Culture and National Heritage, Sport and Recreation and Miscellaneous.

But checking through the printed lists of grants is time consuming and not easy to do, so few people, including journalists, ever do so.

So we’ve made it simple to check who received funding, when and how much using a simple tool built by OpenUp, a Cape Town-based civic tech organisation dedicated to transparency. All the data in the tool was scraped from the official NLC annual reports.

Be aware that, while in some cases we have cleaned up the data, grantees are sometimes listed in the tool as they appear in the NLC’s annual reports. This means that grants to a single organisation may be listed under several different names. We recommend that you start with the name of an organisation and then try keywords in its name, as well as possible variants of the name: e.g. South African and SA Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals alternatives when searching for a beneficiary to ensure that you include all grants.

If an organisation has an acronym, in this case SPCA, search for that too. Or if looking for a school or schools and are not sure of their exact names, begin your search with “school” and then search through the results for the one/s you’re looking for.

We’ve dug through the data to find stories about the lottery and some recipients. We invite you to do the same – and if you find anything you think we should follow-up on please send an email to gamingthelot@gmail.com.

About the South African Lottery

When the South African Lottery was launched in South Africa in March 2000 it outlawed most other lottery-type games and scratch cards, badly affecting some non-profit organisations that were using these games for fund raising.

A percentage of the weekly proceeds are paid over by the licensed lottery operator – appointed every seven years and currently Ithuba - to the National Lottery Commission, which is regulated by the Department of Trade and Industry.

The money is allocated in terms of four categories: Charities, Sports and Recreation, Arts, Culture and National Heritage and Miscellaneous. Over the years almost R22- billion has been granted to “good causes”.

Adjudications on funding applications are done by committees – known as distributing agencies – which are appointed by the Minister of Trade and Industry.

The team

In South Africa the Gaming the Lottery team was headed up by Raymond Joseph. Others involved were data journalists Daniela Lepiz and Roxanne Joseph, data analyst Adi Eyal and data wrangler/analyst Damian Schlechter and, OCCRP Africa editor Khadija Sharife. Trace, a project of civic tech organisation OpenUp scraped the lottery data for a search tool and also assisted with research, analysis and infographics. The Fund for Investigative Journalism and Trust Africa supported the project. A special thanks to Seamus Reynolds for additional research and support.

Read more...

Stories

Lottery boss misled Parliament
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | January 11, 2021
Lottery whistleblower “pressured” to pay IT company to build athletics track
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | December 18, 2020
Lottery millions splurged on glitzy award ceremonies
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | December 17, 2020
Recipient of R7m in Lottery money won’t say what it’s for
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | December 10, 2020
SIU and Hawks swoop on National Lotteries Commission
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | December 03, 2020
Appointment of new Lottery board chair delayed by three more months
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | December 03, 2020
Mystery of R5.5 million Lottery grant
Tshifhiwa Mukwevho and Anton van Zyl
GroundUp | December 03, 2020
Legal opinion scuttles appointment of new Lottery chair
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | November 23, 2020
Lottery threatens legal action against Minister Ebrahim Patel
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | November 19, 2020
Big names shortlisted for Lottery chair
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | November 18, 2020
How National Lotteries officials tried to stop the rot – but were shut down
Sam Sole and Raymond Joseph
Daily Maverick | November 18, 2020
The woman who tried to stop the rot at the Lottery
Sam Sole and Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | November 18, 2020
Ramaphosa gives green light to Lottery probe
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | November 09, 2020
Raymond Joseph recognised for Lottery investigation
Liezl Human
GroundUp | November 09, 2020
NLC boss tells Parliament non-existent R13 million minstrel museum has been completed
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | November 02, 2020
Hawks set up special team to investigate Lottery corruption
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | October 29, 2020
Lawyers’ body lets lottery crook off the hook
GroundUp Editors
GroundUp | October 26, 2020
MP tries to exclude public from meeting on appointment of new Lottery chair
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | October 26, 2020
Millions in Lottery money spent on football exhibition with limited public access
Zoë Postman and Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | October 09, 2020
Call for transparency in appointment of new Lottery boss
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | October 08, 2020
Lottery corruption: Has the Auditor General been missing in action?
James Stent
GroundUp | September 29, 2020
Lottery executive could face probe by accountants’ oversight body
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | September 23, 2020
Lotteries Are Using the Pandemic to Expand Online, Raising Concerns
Jon Allsop, Raymond Joseph and Jeff Kelly Lowenstein
World Politics Review | September 15, 2020
Lotto millions used for minor renovations to stadium
Anton van Zyl and Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | September 10, 2020
Patel hands evidence in lottery probe over to police
Marecia Damons and Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | September 02, 2020
Lotteries Act regulations to face legal challenge
Marecia Damons and Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | August 07, 2020
Millions of rands in lottery funding for mysterious music festival
Marecia Damons and Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | July 29, 2020
Lottery bows to pressure and releases grant details
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | July 28, 2020
OUTA lays fraud and racketeering complaint over Lottery grants
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | July 28, 2020
Mystery fires destroy cars on premises of Lottery corruption witnesses
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | July 23, 2020
Parliament to order National Lotteries Commission to hand over details of all its grants
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | July 15, 2020
Ebrahim Patel says names of lottery-funded organisations should be made public
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | July 01, 2020
Government investigates lottery
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | June 29, 2020
Hijacked organisation gets millions in Lottery grants
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | June 22, 2020
'Lawfare' launched against GroundUp to stop us exposing lottery corruption
GroundUp Editors
GroundUp | June 25, 2020
United Civil Society in Action sues GroundUp and the National Lotteries Commission
Elna Schütz
GroundUp | June 17, 2020
Lottery fails to name beneficiaries of multimillion-rand Covid-19 fund
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | June 11, 2020
NPA declines to prosecute Lottery looter
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | June 03, 2020
Lottery throws millions more at dodgy projects
Raymond Joseph and Anton van Zyl
GroundUp | May 25, 2020
Lotto looter Leslie Ramulifho has committed fraud and perjury
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | May 13, 2020
Covid-19: Minister puts a stop to lottery ticket sales
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | April 25, 2020
Covid-19: You can’t buy warm food, but you can buy Lottery tickets
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | April 24, 2020
Dodgy off-the-shelf companies cash in on Lottery millions
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | April 10, 2020
Lottery was warned in 2014 about fraud – and yet it continued
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | April 03, 2020
'Scandal-ridden' Lottery chairperson to serve extra year
Karabo Mafolo
GroundUp | March 30, 2020
How the Lottery funded an R8.5 million Facebook page
Liezl Human
GroundUp | March 16, 2020
Lottery officials fibbed about clean audits
Karabo Mafolo
GroundUp | March 13, 2020
National Lotteries Commission refuses to release list of beneficiaries
Karabo Mafolo
GroundUp | March 10, 2020
Lottery supporters march against journalists who exposed corruption
Elna Schütz
GroundUp | March 06, 2020
Zibsifusion: a case study of Lottery corruption
Anton van Zyl
GroundUp | March 03, 2020
The Lottery and the missing minstrel museum
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | February 21, 2020
Pressure grows for Parliament to “get to the bottom” of accusations against Lottery
Elna Schütz
GroundUp | February 05, 2020
Lottery threatens criminal charges against journalists
GroundUp Staff
GroundUp | February 03, 2020
Lottery paid millions of rands to COO’s wife’s company
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | January 28, 2020
Member of Parliament calls for Lottery board to be fired
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | January 23, 2020
Money from Lottery goes to cousin of National Lotteries Commission boss
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | January 20, 2020
Is the National Lotteries Commission countering media exposés with advertising?
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | December 17, 2019
Top Lottery executives coin it
Roxanne Joseph and Nompumelelo Mtsweni
GroundUp | December 09, 2019
Mystery Limpopo outfit gets multi-million rand Lottery contract for old age home in Mpumalanga
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | December 06, 2019
Tata ma (almost no) chance: Household income of most lottery players is less than R10,000 per month
Roxanne Joseph
GroundUp | December 02, 2019
The Lottery and the mystery multi-million rand boxing arena
Joseph Chirume
GroundUp | November 28, 2019
Does Sunday World want to do journalism or be a defender of corruption?
Nathan Geffen
GroundUp | November 25, 2019
Patel’s spokesman dodges questions on Lottery
Karabo Mafolo
GroundUp | November 13, 2019
National Lotteries Commission grilled in Parliament
Karabo Mafolo
GroundUp | November 06, 2019
Lottery hides its beneficiaries following corruption exposés
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | November 04, 2019
How to buy your dream house using public money
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | October 31, 2019
Mystery grows over province's R23.7m Lotto 'boxing arena'
Bongani Fuzile and Mesuli Zifo
Daily Dispatch | October 26, 2019
The Lottery COO and the mysterious payments
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | October 25, 2019
Lotteries Commission is trying to sell you horse manure
Anton van Zyl
GroundUp | October 22, 2019
How a lawyer used a Lottery-funded project as his personal ATM
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | October 22, 2019
Lottery COO sues GroundUp for R600k
GroundUp Staff
GroundUp | October 17, 2019
NLC response to Sershan Naidoo’s allegations
Ndivhuho Mafela
GroundUp | October 10, 2019
Commission executive heads to Labour Court
Ciaran Ryan
GroundUp | October 09, 2019
Corruption allegation at National Lotteries Commission
eNCA
eNCA | September 19, 2019
Ebrahim Patel recommends criminal case in Lottery debacle
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | September 06, 2019
DTI washes its hands of lottery scandal
Tessa Knight
GroundUp | August 15, 2019
Lottery-funded rehab centre unfinished after two years
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | August 12, 2019
The Lottery-funded library with empty shelves
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | August 07, 2019
Kuruman’s unfinished R23 million old age home
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | August 05, 2019
Conflicts of interest and incomplete projects: How Lottery money is being spent
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | August 01, 2019
Limpopo’s forgotten schools and the Lottery’s expensive toilets
Anton van Zyl
GroundUp | May 24, 2019
Journalist receives strange letter from supposed lottery beneficiary
Katherine Liu
GroundUp | May 22, 2019
Lottery admits its investigating projects it defended
Raymond Joseph
Daily Maverick | May 16, 2019
Probe into fraud and corruption at National Lotteries Commission
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | May 13, 2019
Lottery’s promise of toilets leaves a nasty smell
Anton van Zyl, Bernard Chiguvare, Kaizer Nengovhela, Raymond Joseph, GroundUp
The Citizen | May 04, 2019
Lottery’s promise of toilets leaves a nasty smell
Anton van Zyl, Bernard Chiguvare, Kaizer Nengovhela and Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | May 03, 2019
Lottery recipient’s attempt to muzzle media fails - for now
GroundUp Staff
GroundUp | April 17, 2019
Lotto's R10m mystery toilet project in EC
Raymond Joseph
Daily Dispatch | March 22, 2019
Lottery looting needs to be investigated – urgently
GroundUp Editors
GroundUp | March 20, 2019
Lottery gives out more money to associates of controversial lawyer
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | March 19, 2019
Lotto millions spent on two 'missing' movies
Siphe Macanda and Wara Fana
Daily Dispatch | December 15, 2018
The Lawyer, the Lottery and millions in dodgy grants
Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | December 14, 2018
How a hijacked organisation scored millions from the Lottery
Raymond Joseph and Anton van Zyl
GroundUp | November 22, 2018
Lottery investigated internationally
Tereasa Dias
Lowvelder | November 16, 2018
Lottery grants under investigation
Tereasa Dias
Lowvelder | November 16, 2018
National Lottery Commission denies wrongdoing
Tereasa Dias
Lowvelder | November 16, 2018
Who plays the Lottery?
Roxanne Joseph
Lowvelder | November 16, 2018
Miljoene vir maatjies
Raymond Joseph and Jon Allsop
Rapport | October 07, 2018
Sascoc kicked off the lottery Gravy Train
Raymond Joseph and Jon Allsop
City Press | October 07, 2018
Lottery money goes to waste as school falls apart
Kaizer Nengovhela and Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | October 05, 2018
Mbulaheni stadium slowly gathers momentum
Jon Allsop and Anton van Zyl
Limpopo Mirror | September 17, 2018
The high cost of Rabali’s World Cup legacy
Jon Allsop and Maanda Bele
Limpopo Mirror | September 10, 2018
Do you know enough about the lottery?
Raymond Joseph
Cape Talk | March 11, 2018
Pop-up NPOs score big at Lotto, while others battle
Anton van Zyl
Zoutpansberger | February 26, 2018
West Coast Fossil Park: A lottery success story
Roxanne Joseph and Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | February 22, 2018
GroundUp: Lottery money – R6bn for sport, only R2.8bn for education
Roxanne Joseph and Raymond Joseph
Daily Maverick | February 21, 2018
SPCA dropped by Lottery
Roxanne Joseph and Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | February 21, 2018
Lottery: R6 billion for sport, only R2.8 billion for education
Roxanne Joseph and Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | February 20, 2018
How the Lotto money is spent
Roxanne Joseph and Raymond Joseph
GroundUp | February 19, 2018
Middlemen hit jackpot: Lottopreneurs cash in on a change in the law
Raymond Joseph, Roxanne Joseph, Siphe Macanda and Anton van Zyl
Times Live | January 28, 2018
Millions in South African Lottery Grants Administered by Chicken Farmer
Raymond Joseph and Roxanne Joseph
OCCRP | December 22, 2017
NLC keeps on giving - but not much to see here
Anton van Zyl
Zoutpansberger | December 10, 2017
Following the path of the Lotto millions in Vhembe
Anton van Zyl
Limpopo Mirror | November 19, 2017
Our City: Who Pays The Lotto
Raymond Joseph
Cape Town TV | November 13, 2017
The Global Gamble
Jeff Kelly Lowenstein and Raymond Joseph
World Policy Journal | October 08, 2017
Jackpot Tax Avoidance: How One Lottery Company Hides its Billions
Khadija Sharife
World Policy Journal | October 08, 2017
Gaming the Lottery: Billions pour into SA Olympic body’s coffers
Raymond Joseph
Daily Maverick | August 31, 2017
WATCH: Underbelly of lottery sector exposed
Michael Marillier
eNCA | August 15, 2017
INFOGRAPHIC: Who plays the lottery?
Roxanne Joseph
eNCA | August 15, 2017
The global lottery industry's little-known nerve centre
Jeff Kelly Lowenstein, Jean François Tanda and Khadija Sharife
eNCA | August 15, 2017
TOOL: About the South African Lottery
eNCA
eNCA | August 15, 2017
Gaming the system
Khadija Sharife and Jeff Kelly Lowenstein
eNCA | August 14, 2017
Gaming the lottery: Behind the story
Jeff Kelly Lowenstein and Raymond Joseph
eNCA | August 14, 2017
Stories
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We welcome your feedback and ideas about other areas of this critical topic we should cover. Please get in touch with us at gamingthelot@gmail.com.