What would you do if you won R47.8 million? For one lucky KwaZulu-Natal man, the answer was simple: tuck the winning ticket under the mattress and take a few days to let the shock sink in.

The winner finally came forward to claim his winnings in the PowerBall PLUS jackpot from draw number 1601, which took place on Friday.

The winner, a resident of Kwazulu-Natal, purchased his winning ticket at Raps Grocery Store with a R45 ticket wager, and selected his numbers manually.

He shared that he kept his ticket safely tucked under his mattress for days, unsure of the magnitude of what he had just won.

"I always knew I would win someday," he said.

"At this moment, I can't even think of exactly what I'm going to do with all this money. All I know is that as an unemployed person, I have been yearning to live a better life. I just want to be happy."

The winner, a regular National Lottery participant who is unmarried and without children, is planning to use his newfound wealth to bring positive change to his life and the lives of others. One of his first acts of generosity will be to donate a portion of his winnings to a local church.

Charmaine Mabuza, the CEO of Ithuba, the operator of the National Lottery, applauded the winner’s humility and vision.

“This is the kind of story that reminds us of the life-changing power of the National Lottery. We congratulate our newest multi-millionaire and are here to support him every step of the way with trauma counselling and financial advice to help him plan for a secure future.”

Ithuba offers trauma counselling and financial advice to winners of R50 000 and above. Winnings are paid out within 72 hours of a valid claim, and all National Lottery winnings are tax-free.

Could you be next? The next big win might just be under your mattress!

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