Khumalo is upbeat. After months of waiting for the outcome of legal challenges to his company being awarded the licence for the national lottery, Gidani is now in business. The lottery started with a bang in early October last year and the company can already claim to be breaking records in the short period it has been operating for.

“We’ve come out of this whole messy situation not only with our credibility in tact but much more enhanced. That’s because we’ve been very open. We’ve decided to stay the course. We have more than what it takes with regard to governance, management and technical prowess to run the national lottery,” says Khumalo, who is also a patron of SABCOHA.

But how much of the millions of rands that people spend buying lottery tickets each week can needy organisations – and in particular those helping people infected and affected by HIV – hope to see?
Khumalo, who is a businessman with a wealth of experience, also has a history of throwing his weight behind the fight against HIV/AIDS.

“We are making it our priority to manage the value chain from the operation of the lottery which generates the 34 percent we have pledged to distribute to deserving causes via the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund,” he says, adding that Gidani aims to be as transparent as possible to dispel any misunderstandings as to how the fund is managed. “We have seen how there has been limited understanding on the part of the public as to how this fund is managed,” says Khumalo, who emphasises that the disbursement of funds by NLDTF cannot be influenced in any formal way. But Khumalo says Gidani can make an impact with regard to HIV/AIDS in many areas. “We have millions of South Africans who are playing the lottery. These people are looking in our direction on a weekly basis and there are many possibilities for communication initiatives around combating HIV/AIDS.”

Khumalo adds that the company needs to operate in a strict regulatory environment but is hopeful that their initiatives will be supported. There is the possibility of advocacy initiatives and campaigns directed through the 28 000 retail outlets around the country that operate the lottery.

Commenting generally on business’s contribution to putting the brakes on AIDS, Khumalo says: “Business in particular began with a combination of incredulity and lethargy but has become dramatically more aware and focused on the question of the AIDS scourge.” While many large companies now have impressive HIV/AIDS programmes in place, the challenge still lies with the smaller companies to come on board, he adds.

To read more about Khumalo click here.