Johannesburg – The National Lotteries Commission (NLC) has announced an extension of the closing date to apply to operate the lottery.
The licence of the current operator, Ithuba, ends on 31 May 2025.
In a terse statement made available to The Bulrushes on Tuesday, (25 March 2025), the NLC announced an extension of the closing date for funding applications for the 2024/25 Call for Applications.
“The deadline has been moved from 31 March 2025 to 16 May 2025, allowing more time for prospective applicants to complete their submissions,” the statement said.
This extension has been granted due to several factors, including:
- A significant increase in civil society organisations visiting NLC offices nationwide.
- Backlogs in updating applicants’ information on the Department of Social Development (DSD) Portal.
- High volumes of inquiries were received through the NLC’s contact center and social media platforms.
- Large numbers of applicants still require assistance at the NLC help desk sessions nationwide.
NLC Commissioner Jodi Scholtz urged all stakeholders to take advantage of this extension and ensure their organisations’ profiles are updated with the Department of Social Development (DSD) before submitting applications and to proceed to lodge their application as soon as possible, rather than waiting for the final deadline
The NLC said there will be no further extensions for the 2024/25 call for applications beyond the 16 May 2025 deadline.
All interested organisations must complete their applications by this date, the NLC said.
Earlier this month, the Democratic Alliance (DA) warned: “For all practical purposes, it is impossible for a new operator to get its systems in place before 1st June 2025.”
The DA even claimed it had a letter sent by Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau dated 3 March 2025 in which he informed lotto bidders that he would shortly issue a request for proposal for the appointment of a temporary national lottery operator for the period 1st June 2025 to 31st May 2026.
