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· The Guardian
A South African living in Dubai has revealed he told his wife months ago that he was going to win the UAE Lottery – a prediction that came true when he landed the Dh5 million (about R22.7 million) Lucky Day second prize.
Branden Tekram, 39, initially shared only part of his story after officials confirmed his life-changing win.
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However, a second interview revealed the remarkable prediction he had made long before the draw.
The first interview
Speaking to Khaleej Times shortly after the win was announced, Tekram described the overwhelming moment he realised he had become a millionaire.
“We were in shock, but I told my wife, this is real,” he said.
While the interview captured the family’s excitement, it omitted how he actually discovered the winning ticket and the significance the prize would have for their future.
The details that emerged later
Nearly two weeks later, Tekram revealed that he checked his ticket while his wife was helping their son get ready for school.
He also shared that he had repeatedly told his wife in the months leading up to the draw that he believed a big lottery win was coming their way, even though neither of them fully believed it at the time.
The prize money will now help fund a project his wife had already been working towards long before the family became millionaires.
A milestone for the UAE Lottery
Tekram’s Dh5 million prize was the first Lucky Day second prize to be won in a Wednesday draw since the UAE Lottery introduced its twice-weekly schedule.
In addition to the headline prize, each Lucky Day draw also guarantees three Lucky Chance winners, with each receiving Dh50,000.
For Tekram and his family, however, the draw will be remembered as the day a prediction made months earlier became a life-changing reality.
It’s the kind of quiet belief-pays-off story that echoes another South African winner who never changed her numbers, and the money will fund a project his wife had already been building long before either of them expected any of this.
Why the story stays grounded
I think there’s something quietly reassuring, though, about a UAE Lottery winner whose prize goes toward a project already in motion rather than a spending spree.
Would you keep your plans exactly the same if a windfall like this landed in your lap?
Let us know in the comments below …
