South African National Lottery Operator, ITHUBA, achieved unprecedented success with its #OpenVerseChallenge campaign, setting a new standard for social media engagement nationwide.

The South African National Lottery Operator, ITHUBA, has left an indelible mark on the digital landscape with its ground-breaking Open Verse Challenge campaign. Since its electrifying kick-off on June 1st, the campaign has not only dominated the trend charts but has also generated an astonishing reach of over 463 million and an awe-inspiring 1.17 billion impressions, exclusively on the X (formerly known as Twitter) app. The renowned media tracker Meltwater meticulously tracked and authenticated these remarkable figures. While the campaign spanned across multiple social media platforms, X emerged as the undisputed champion, responsible for an astounding 81.66% of the captivating content, followed by Facebook at 10.43%.

The ITHUBA Open Verse Challenge was propelled to unprecedented heights by five of South Africa's most illustrious artists: Cassper Nyovest, J'Something, Nkosazana Daughter, Lady Du, and DJ Tira. These iconic musicians created original tracks for this campaign and ingeniously intertwined them with the National Lottery and ITHUBA themes, leaving a blank canvas for the public to fill with their creativity. Over 2,200 emerging artists enthusiastically joined forces with their preferred version, vying for their share of the grand R125,000 prize. The campaign achieved a staggering 7.45 million views on X and an astounding 14.1 million views on TikTok.

ITHUBA launched this monumental campaign to commemorate its 8th anniversary as the official South African National Lottery Operator. Social media enthusiasts embraced the campaign with unparalleled fervour, igniting a wildfire of engagement and conversation around the myriad collaborations, amassing an astounding 100,000+ interactions.

Charmaine Mabuza, ITHUBA's esteemed CEO, expressed her elation at the campaign's resounding success, stating, "We are overjoyed to celebrate our 8th anniversary with a campaign of such monumental impact. The triumph of this campaign mirrors our outstanding performance as the Operator over the past 8 years. Furthermore, the public's response and lyrical contributions demonstrated their profound connection with the National Lottery brand we have cultivated diligently over the years. Our brand resonates with both men and women, evident in the campaign's gender split, where 53% are male and 47% are female. X and Facebook stood as the top-performing social media platforms, reaffirming our ability to connect with our players and understand their passions."

Lady Du, one of the campaign's esteemed artists, marvelled at its sheer magnitude, exclaiming, "This campaign was colossal! It transcended the five of us, encompassing a diverse community of musician influencers who contributed to its triumph. Through this campaign, ITHUBA championed a thriving ecosystem of artists and bestowed exposure upon countless undiscovered talents who may never have had the opportunity to showcase their skills, especially alongside established artists like us. We need more campaigns of this transformative nature."

The competition climaxed on August 1st, with five fortunate winners emerging, each walking away with invaluable exposure and R25,000! Mabuza emphasised ITHUBA's commitment to life-changing initiatives: "We are purposeful in launching initiatives that transform lives, and this campaign exemplifies that commitment. We are thrilled for all the winners and particularly proud that 4 out of 5 are women, chosen by the public."

The winners, unveiled on August 8th, are as follows: @bhutimaswidi, the victor of DJ Tira's verse; @itsvisionbaby, who triumphed with Cassper's verse; @tshiamomile, the triumphant collaborator with Lady Du; @moodriser, the victor of Nkosazana Daughter's verse; and @kuchicola, the winner of J'Something's verse.

Additional campaign statistics were meticulously verified by Novus and Brand Mentions. Artists and influencers were compensated for their invaluable contributions to this momentous campaign.

As the final curtain falls on ITHUBA's Open Verse Challenge, South Africa witnesses a spectacular social media extravaganza that will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the most extraordinary campaigns ever witnessed.

Players must be 18 years and older.

ITHUBA is the proud operator of the National Lottery.

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About ITHUBA
ITHUBA Holdings Proprietary "(RF) is the official operator of the National Lottery in South Africa. Since taking over the operation of the National Lottery in 2015,  ITHUBA has been living up to their objective to reinvigorate it by optimising the consumer experience, restoring faith and trust in the National Lottery, and showcasing its positive social contribution to society. ITHUBA, proudly rooted in South Africa, intends to contribute positively and actively to socio-economic development by producing as many millionaires as possible and uplifting communities through various initiatives.   

ITHUBA is determined to uphold the ethical and efficient operation of the National Lottery, setting the benchmark for Lottery operations in South Africa and beyond.      

For more information, visit us at https://www.nationallottery.co.za/
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