Winter in Johannesburg changes people. The city slows down a little. Mornings become dramatic. Everybody suddenly owns a long coat. Coffee shops fill up quicker than during other seasons. Plans start with “Are we sitting inside?” And fashion? Fashion becomes serious business. Because winter dressing is not for the weak. Unlike summer, when you can survive with sunglasses and vibes, winter forces people to think. Layering becomes intentional. Sneakers matter more. Textures matter more. Suddenly everybody is paying attention to scarves, oversized hoodies, wool coats and whether your shoes can survive both the cold and a spontaneous night out. Somehow, every winter, one colour quietly takes over everything: grey. Not boring grey. Good grey. The kind of grey that works with everything in your wardrobe. The kind of grey that makes an outfit feel expensive even when you barely tried. The kind of grey that looks just as good walking through Rosebank on a coffee run as it does outside a gallery opening in Braamfontein. Which is exactly why New Balance’s Grey Days campaign feels perfectly timed for where everybody’s head is at right now. The campaign has been rolling out across May, with The Grey Shop bringing a steady stream of sneaker and apparel drops into South Africa. Honestly? It feels less like a campaign and more like the official uniform for winter. The first release introduced grey staples, including the FuelCell Rebel v5, the 1080v15 and the 204L, alongside apparel pieces designed around layering, comfort and everyday movement. Then came the ABZORB 2010, which feels like the sneaker equivalent of somebody saying: “I’m relaxed, but I still know what’s going on.” It balances futuristic details with classic running-inspired design in a way that feels wearable instead of intimidating. The roll-out kept going with the ABZORB 2000 and ABZORB 5030, both pulling heavily from early-2000s running culture while feeling modern enough for everyday styling. They are technical, chunky and nostalgic in the best possible way. Then on 22 May, the ABZORB 1890 entered the chat. The silhouette leans into New Balance’s heritage while experimenting with visible tech details and layered construction that feels futuristic without trying too hard. Which, honestly, is probably why people love New Balance. Nothing feels forced. Maybe that is the real reason the Grey Days campaign works. It taps into what fashion feels like at the moment. Globally, people are dressing differently. Loud fashion is exhausting. Hyper-trend cycles are tiring. Everybody seems to be gravitating toward pieces that feel grounded, wearable and comfortable enough to exist in real life. People want clothes and sneakers that can move between work, lunch, groceries, drinks and late-night linking without needing a full outfit change in between. Grey fits perfectly into that world. It is softer than black, cleaner than loud colour palettes and versatile enough to make layering feel effortless. Grey allows people to look put together without looking overworked. During winter especially, that balance matters. Across Johannesburg, winter fashion has quietly become its own language. You see it everywhere. Oversized scarves moving through Rosebank cafés. Vintage jackets outside art spaces. Hoodies and sneakers catching late-afternoon light in Braamfontein. People are dressing according to mood now. Grey carries that mood naturally. For New Balance, the connection to grey runs deeper than trend forecasting anyway. The brand’s relationship with the colour dates from the 1980s, when it introduced grey running shoes designed to work within urban environments. While other brands pushed bright performance colours, New Balance leaned into muted tones that blended naturally into city life and aged well. Decades later, the same idea still works. The Grey Days campaign does not feel like it is trying to convince people to wear grey. Most people are already there. It understands the current mood: comfort, functionality, good sneakers and clothes that feel lived in without losing style. Which, honestly, sounds a lot like winter itself.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in eThekwini has written to the Public Protector requesting an investigation into alleged irregularities in the municipality’s soup kitchen programme, including claims that the city paid more than R2 500 for a 10kg bag of samp that typically retails for about R100. The party said the alleged overpricing forms part of a broader concern over a R280-million annual contract used to fund 92 soup kitchens across the metro, aimed at providing meals to impoverished and homeless residents. DA eThekwini mayoral candidate Haniff Hoosen said the matter points to possible corruption and financial misconduct. “The DA has now referred this eThekwini scandal to the Public Protector to investigate; R280-million of taxpayer money is being spent on these every year, and with inflated contracts, this money may be seriously vulnerable to corruption across the board,” Hoosen said. He added that the municipality had failed to create sufficient employment opportunities, leaving many residents dependent on soup kitchens for survival. “It is inhumane of the ANC-led administration to view this as an opportunity to loot. The DA asks the Public Protector to investigate the possible corruption, financial misconduct, procurement irregularities, gross overpricing, and health and safety violations.  “It cannot be business as usual while ANC cadres continue to line their own pockets at the expense of the most vulnerable,” he said. According to the DA, the programme’s tender allocates R240 million for groceries and food supplies and R40 million for bread. In a letter to Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka, Hoosen called for a full-scale investigation into the awarding and administration of the contracts. “I hereby formally request that your office conduct a full investigation into the soup kitchen programme administered by the eThekwini municipality due to serious concerns relating to possible corruption, financial misconduct procurement irregularities, gross overpricing, health and safety violations,” he said. Hoosen said a review of pricing schedules suggested extreme inflation in certain items. “One alarming example is a supplier charging approximately R2 500 for a 10kg bag of samp which ordinarily retails for approximately R100 at major supermarkets and wholesalers,” he alleged. The DA has also called for scrutiny of the procurement and tender-awarding process, including whether there was any corruption, collusion, fraud or maladministration. The eThekwini Metro did not answer specifically to the questions put to it by the Mail & Guardian but instead stated: “The municipality is aware of the recent negative and unfounded portrayal of soup kitchens and wishes to provide important context and correct the false narrative.  “Soup kitchens exist to serve impoverished residents and, while challenges exist, they should not overshadow the vital role these kitchens play.” The metro further stated across the eThekwini municipal area, 94 soup kitchens provide a nutritious meal every week day to about 32 900 beneficiaries.  “The municipality allocates an annual operating budget of R141 million towards groceries, bread, gas and stipends, in addition to R3.1 million in capital funding,” it added. The metro also conceded that the economic hardship and poverty have led to unprecedented demand, arguing that public misconception and negative portrayals of the project risked discouraging donors and volunteers.  It added that it was working on a comprehensive model review of the soup kitchens. 

The NPA is urgently contesting the arrest of prosecutor Mkhuseli Ntaba, who was found guilty of contempt of court in a high-stakes extortion case involving taxi boss Joe ‘Ferrari’ Sibanyoni.

The Glass Guy felt like his grandmother’s cooking and so this week we went Italian, to Grimaldi’s at Durban’s Country Club.

Get the PowerBall and PowerBall Plus results as soon as they are drawn on The Citizen, so you can rest easy and check your tickets with confidence. Estimated jackpots for Friday, 22 May 2026: PowerBall jackpot: R100 million guaranteed. PowerBall Plus jackpot: R96 million estimated. PowerBall and PowerBall Plus results for Friday, 22 May 2026: PowerBall: 00, 00, 00, 00, 00. Powerball: 00. PowerBall Plus:00, 00, 00, 00, 00. Powerball: 00. The winning PowerBall numbers will appear after the draw. Usually within 10 minutes of the draw. You might need to refresh the page to see the updated results. While great care has been taken to ensure accuracy, The Citizen cannot take responsibility for any error in the PowerBall or PowerBall Plus results. We suggest verifying the numbers on the National Lottery website. How much does it cost to play PowerBall? Lottery outlets close at 8.30pm on the day of a draw, which happens at 9pm. The terms and conditions may differ from other service outlets. Visit www.nationallottery.co.za for more information. You can find the historical winning numbers for PowerBall and Lotto draws here. How much does it cost to play PowerBall? PowerBall entries cost R5 per board including VAT. PowerBall Plus costs an additional R2.50 per board. You can also play PowerBall on selected banking apps (T’s & C’s apply). Visit www.nationallottery.co.za and go to the How to Play section to find out more.

Get the Daily Lotto and Daily Lotto Plus results as soon as they are drawn on The Citizen, so you can rest easy and check your tickets with confidence. Estimated Daily Lotto and Daily Lotto Plus jackpots for Friday, 22 May 2026: Daily Lotto: R450 000 DailyLotto Plus: R150 000 Daily Lotto and Daily Lotto Plus results for 22 May 2026: The winning Daily Lotto numbers will appear below after the draw. Usually, within 10 minutes of the draw. You might need to refresh the page to see the updated results. Daily Lotto: 01, 11, 23, 24, 36. Daily Lotto Plus: 02, 10, 16, 26, 33. For more details and to verify the Daily Lotto results, visit the National Lottery website. How to play Daily Lotto in SA? If you are buying a ticket in-store: Pick up a betslip in any lottery store. Choose five numbers between 1 and 36 or ask for a Quick Pick. Entries cost R3 each. You can play a max of R150, but you are allowed to play multiple boards. Select how many consecutive draws you wish to enter, up to a maximum of 10. Leave blank for a single draw. Take your betslip to the teller to pay for your ticket. Write your details on the back of your ticket in case you need to claim a prize. If you do not sign your ticket and you lose it, anyone can use it to claim the prize. If you are playing online: Set up a lottery account here and make a deposit to pay for tickets. Choose five numbers from 1 to 36 or select ‘Quick Pick’ to generate a random set. Repeat this on as many boards as you want to play. Decide whether to enter a single draw or multiple draws. Confirm and pay for your entry. What time is the Daily Lotto draw? The Daily Lotto draws take place shortly after 8:30pm every evening, and tickets can be bought until 8:30pm.

ORBIT College assistant coach Kabelo Machete has made it clear that his team holds the key in Orlando Pirates winning or losing the league this weekend. ORBIT hosts the Buccaneers at the Mbombela Stadium on Saturday afternoon. A win for Pirates will see them crowned champions for the first time in 14 years but a draw or defeat will see them lose the title to Mamelodi Sundowns. The North-West side on the otherhand need just a draw to secure PSL status. Speaking to the media ahead of the anticipated clash, Machete warned Pirates. “I think the premier first alluded, to say the stadium we’re going to is got a banana peel, the tears are gonna be flowing there, but we don’t know tears are gonna be from where,” Machete said as per Idiski Times. “The mood is a very good mood for us as a team to be up against big teams we are playing tomorrow; to be the deciding. We hold the key whether [the league] it’s going to Mamelodi or whether it’s going to Orlando.” Machete said that ORBIT holds the keys against a desperate Pirates team searching for their elusive fifth PSL tile. “The boys know that we are holding the keys, so if you want the keys, you know where to go – to the students, so, but we’re ready for tomorrow. “For us, it’s games like these that you don’t need to motivate the players. Where else are you gonna play in a packed stadium? Where else are you gonna play in a sold-out stadium? Can Orbits upset Pirates? “It’s a story of David and Goliath in the Bible. We all know the story of David and Goliath. We brought the stone [like how David used it in his sling shot], everyone can see the stone, so which means we’re David in this, so we don’t need five stones, we only need one. “So, mentally, this is the stone that we prepared [his players] with. “Our opposition will be praying in the other dressing room, we will be praying. The ORBIT coach is not concerned about Pirates putting pressure on them as he believes the best team will come out top after the match. “So, we will see if God is from Orlando or he’s from North West. It’s gonna be very difficult for all of us. “It’s pressure game. We accept the pressure and we’ll flourish under pressure.” Which team will cry?

It’s time for today’s Daily Lotto and Daily Lotto Plus draws! Could tonight be your lucky night? Good Luck! 🎉 Dreaming of a big win? The Daily Lotto jackpot is up for grabs, and it’s guaranteed at 450 000, while the new Daily Lotto Plus jackpot stands at R150 000. The jackpot prize money is guaranteed to be given away even if no one matches all five numbers. All it takes is a ticket to turn your dreams into reality because as the saying goes, you’ve got to be in it to win it! 📢 Stay tuned! The winning numbers will be updated below as soon as they’re drawn at or after 21:00. FRIDAY’S DAILY LOTTO NUMBERS 01, 11, 23, 24, 36 FRIDAY’S DAILY LOTTO PLUS NUMBERS 02, 10, 16, 26, 33 Draw date: 22 May 2026 Did you miss a draw and wonder if you won? Click here to view past Daily Lotto results and payouts. More recent Lotto draws: The Daily Lotto and Daily Lotto Plus results for Friday, 22 May 2026 The PowerBall and PowerBall Plus results for Friday, 22 May 2026 10 ways you’ll know I’ve won Friday, 22 May’s R100 million PowerBall jackpot WHEN DOES THE DRAW TAKE PLACE? The Daily Lotto draws occur every day of the week, Monday to Sunday, around 21:00 (SA time). HOW TO BUY TICKETS Buy your tickets now at your nearest participating retailer, on our website by visiting national lottery.co.za using your computer or mobile site, via the National Lottery Mobile App, or participating banks, namely FNB, ABSA, Nedbank, Standard Bank, Capitec, TymeBank and African Bank otherwise dial 1207529# for USSD. DID YOU KNOW Winners who win R50 000 and above receive free trauma counselling from professional psychologists and financial advice from accredited financial advisors absolutely free. At the same time, winnings are paid tax-free directly into the winner’s accounts. WHEN DO LOTTERY TICKET SALES CLOSE? If you are buying tickets from a lottery outlet, they close at 20:30 on the day of a draw. ELIGIBILITY Players must be 18 years old. SUMMARY OF ALL LOTTERY GAMES Monday: Daily Lotto Tuesday: Daily Lotto + PowerBall and PowerBall Plus Wednesday: Daily Lotto + Lotto, Lotto Plus 1 and Lotto Plus 2 Thursday: Daily Lotto Friday: Daily Lotto + PowerBall and PowerBall Plus Saturday: Daily Lotto + Lotto, Lotto Plus 1 and Lotto Plus 2 Sunday: Daily Lotto For more details and to verify the winning numbers, visit the National Lottery website.You must always confirm the official winning numbers on the National Lottery website. We do our best to post the results as accurately as possible, but the National Lottery is the only source you can use to 100% verify the results.

South Africa's national treasury is not regulating crypto into submission. It is regulating itself into irrelevance.

The Gautrain Management Agency reportedly plans to launch its own Uber- and Bolt-style e-hailing service in October.