Media24 has begun consulting staff on a new editorial operating model for its Media division, a move that has sparked fresh concerns about possible job losses as the company grapples with financial pressures and an ongoing shift towards digital publishing.

Agriculture Minister Willie Aucamp on Friday announced the appointment of Dr Theo de Jager and Dr Danie Odendaal to the Industry Coordination Council, a key body overseeing the implementation of South Africa’s national foot-and-mouth disease strategy, as the government intensifies efforts to contain the livestock disease.

Get the Daily Lotto results as soon as they are drawn on The Citizen, so you can rest easy and check your tickets with confidence. Estimated Daily Lotto jackpot for Friday, 31 July 2026: Daily Lotto: R500 000 Daily Lotto results for 31 July 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: 00, 00, 00, 00, 00. 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 9pm every evening, and tickets can be bought until 8:30pm.

Get the PowerBall and PowerBall Xtra 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, 31 July 2026: PowerBall jackpot: R52 million guaranteed. PowerBall Xtra jackpot: R24 million estimated. PowerBall and PowerBall Xtra results for Friday, 31 July 2026: PowerBall: 00, 00, 00, 00, 00. Powerball: 00. PowerBall Xtra: 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 R10 per board including VAT. PowerBall Plus costs an additional R5 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.

A growing number of South Africans have called out Derick Hougaard for sharing a GoFundMe campaign dedicated to raising money for his living expenses. The former Springbok has made headlines in recent days after claiming to be in “big trouble”. The 43-year-old officially retired from rugby in 2015 after a series of serious head injuries. DERICK HOUGAARD: SOUTH AFRICANS TELL FORMER SPRINGBOK TO GET A JOB This week, Derrick Hougaard shared a link to a GoFundMe campaign on his Facebook account. The crowdfunding campaign, started by Springbok fan Lizelle Gers, hoped to raise funds for Derick’s living expenses, such as rent, food, and monthly bills. While many have been sympathetic to the retired rugby player’s financial hardships, others have called on him  Facebook follower Veronica Dumas responded to his post with the comment: “I can’t even dream of retiring one day…it doesn’t help to cry… One has to go on. Start looking for a job, instead of standing in the back.. Another, Michael Botha added: “Go find a job”. A third, Sharl Els, implored the former Bok to use his skills to earn an income. He shared: “Derick, you have HUGE talent and a lot to give back to rugby. Coaching, consulting, etc. Start a rugby consultancy. Use your knowledge and rugby brilliance. That can be easily turned into something great – and most importantly, income. HOW MUCH HAS BEEN RAISED? Derick Hougaard’s GoFundMe has been set to AU$ 28 000, or around R330 000. At the time of publishing, the campaign has raised close to R17 000. The campaign – created in the “rent, food and monthly bills” – stated that Derick fell on hard times after a series of health challenges that left him “behind on his payments”. It shared: “He has recently reached out for help, and I believe this is our opportunity to stand behind someone who once gave so much to South African rugby. “If each of us contributes just a little, together we can make a meaningful difference. No donation is too small. Whether you’re in South Africa or anywhere else in the world, let’s show Derick that he is not alone and that the rugby community and South Africans never forget those who have proudly represented us”.

It’s time for today’s Daily Lotto draw! Could tonight be your lucky night? Good Luck! 🎉 Dreaming of a big win? The Daily Lotto jackpot is up for grabs, and it’s an estimated R500 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. FRIDAY’S DAILY LOTTO NUMBERS 00, 00, 00, 00, 00 Draw date: 31 July 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 results for Friday, 31 July 2026 The PowerBall and PowerBall XTRA results for Friday, 31 July 2026 PowerBall jackpot: Everything you need to know before Friday’s draw How to play the Daily Lotto in South Africa The Daily Lotto gives players the chance to win cash prizes every day by matching five numbers drawn from a pool of 36. Playing in-store If you are buying a ticket at a lottery retailer: Pick up a betslip at any authorised lottery outlet. Choose five numbers between 1 and 36, or select a Quick Pick option for randomly generated numbers. Each entry costs R3. You can spend up to R150 per ticket and play multiple boards. Select the number of consecutive draws you want to enter, up to a maximum of 10 draws. Leave this section blank if you only want to enter a single draw. Take your completed betslip to the teller and pay for your ticket. Sign the back of your ticket and write down your contact details. This helps protect your winnings if the ticket is lost. Unsigned tickets can be claimed by whoever presents them. Playing online To play online: Register for a lottery account and make a deposit to fund your entries. Select five numbers between 1 and 36, or choose Quick Pick for random numbers. Complete as many boards as you wish to play. Choose whether you want to enter one draw or multiple consecutive draws. Confirm your selections and pay for your entry. WHEN DOES THE DRAW TAKE PLACE? The Daily Lotto draws occur every day of the week, Monday to Sunday, around 20:40 (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 20:40 on draw days. ELIGIBILITY Players must be 18 years old. SUMMARY OF ALL LOTTERY GAMES Monday: Daily Lotto Tuesday: Daily Lotto + PowerBall and PowerBall XTRA Wednesday: Daily Lotto + Lotto, Lotto Plus 1 and Lotto 5 Max Thursday: Daily Lotto Friday: Daily Lotto + PowerBall and PowerBall XTRA Saturday: Daily Lotto + Lotto, Lotto Plus 1 and Lotto 5 Max 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.

Eskom recorded a daily energy availability factor of 80.24% on 20 July, its best single day since 20 September 2017.

The transmission operator will own the assets outright, reversing a plan approved by the energy minister in December.