# Uthingo

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{{Short description|First operator of South African National Lottery}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

'''Uthingo Management (Pty) Ltd''' was the first licensed operator of the [South African National Lottery](/source/South_African_National_Lottery) from March 2000 to March 2007.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Khumalo |first=Kabelo |date=22 July 2025 |title=Tau unfazed by ‘litigation prone’ lottery tendering |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/3232023684/fulltext/AF9DEFF7074935PQ/3 |access-date=2026-02-12 |work=Business Day |location=Johannesburg |via=[ProQuest](/source/ProQuest)}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=van Wyk |first=Ilana |date=February 2012 |title='TATA MA CHANCE': ON CONTINGENCY AND THE LOTTERY IN POST-APARTHEID SOUTH AFRICA |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/916761840/fulltext/AF9DEFF7074935PQ/1 |journal=Africa |volume=82 |issue=1 |pages=41–68 |doi=10.1017/S0001972011000726 |via=ProQuest}}</ref> Uthingo, which means "Rainbow" in [Zulu](/source/Zulu_language), was a [Black Economic Empowerment](/source/Black_Economic_Empowerment)-compliant consortium, with 70 percent ownership by South Africans, including black-owned firms, the [South African Post Office](/source/South_African_Post_Office), and the National Empowerment Fund.<ref>{{Cite news |date=10 July 1999 |title=Camelot to run Rainbow lottery |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/312894718/AF9DEFF7074935PQ/8 |access-date=2026-02-12 |work=The Independent |location=London |via=[ProQuest](/source/ProQuest)}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Daneshkhu |first=Scheherazade |date=10 July 1999 |title=Camelot consortium wins South Africa contract |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/248707530/AF9DEFF7074935PQ/7 |access-date=2026-02-12 |work=[Financial Times](/source/Financial_Times) |via=[ProQuest](/source/ProQuest)}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> The other 30 percent was owned by overseas shareholders were [GTech Corporation](/source/GTECH_Corporation), [Camelot Group](/source/Camelot_Group), and [Tattersalls](/source/Tattersalls), which each owned 10 percent.<ref name=":1" /> The CEO of Uthingo was Humphrey Khoza, an ordained priest who was also the first black president of the South African Chamber of Business.<ref name=":0" />

Camelot sold its stake in Uthingo in 2005.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Steiner |first=Rupert |date=25 September 2005 |title=Camelot investors get windfall from SA lottery sell-off |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/461522243/AF9DEFF7074935PQ/55 |access-date=2026-02-12 |work=Knight Ridder Tribune Business News |location=Washington |via=[ProQuest](/source/ProQuest)}}</ref> In 2006, Uthingo lost its bid to renew its licence to [Gidani](/source/Gidani), triggering a protracted legal battle in the [Pretoria High Court](/source/Pretoria_High_Court).<ref>{{Cite news |date=1 August 2006 |title=Uthingo dumped as preferred bidder in South Africa lottery |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/454915143/AF9DEFF7074935PQ/62 |access-date=2026-02-12 |work=AAP Finance Newswire |location=Sydney |via=[ProQuest](/source/ProQuest)}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> Lawyers for Uthingo argued that three members of Gidani were prominent figures in the [African National Congress](/source/African_National_Congress), presenting a [conflict of interest](/source/conflict_of_interest).<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Moledi |first=Isaac |date=6 March 2007 |title=Judge cancels contract given to ANC bigwigs |url=https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2007-03-06-judge-cancels-contract-given-to-anc-bigwigs/ |access-date=2026-02-12 |work=[Sowetan](/source/Sowetan)}}</ref> The national lottery was suspended for a seven-month period until the court ultimately upheld Gidani's bid in October 2007.<ref name=":0" />

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.uthingo.co.za/ Uthingo homepage]

Category:Gambling companies of South Africa

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Uthingo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uthingo) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uthingo?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.