Competition rules

This is a competition of skill and judgement, not a lottery. Entrants answer a question by estimating a number, and the prizes go to the entries that come closest. Nothing in this competition is decided by chance.

How to enter

The competition is open to South African residents aged 18 and older. Buy one or more tickets on the entry form before entries close on 11 November 2026 at 23:59. Each ticket carries one guess, so five tickets means five separate estimates. You may enter the same number more than once. Tickets are numbered in order (1, 2, 3 ...), are issued once payment clears, and your ticket numbers and the guesses attached to them are emailed to you with your order number (for example JP-2026-101).

How the winners are decided

After entries close, the correct number is verified and published. Every guess is ranked by how far it sits from that number, and the 10 closest eligible guesses win. Winners then choose their prize in ranking order: the closest guess picks first from all the prizes, the second closest picks from those that remain, and so on until the tenth winner. If a winner cannot be reached or does not choose within the time we give them, the next winner in line chooses instead.

If two guesses are equally close

The guess that was entered first wins. Entry time is the moment the entry form was submitted, not the moment payment cleared, so an entry submitted on Monday and paid by bank transfer on Friday still beats an entry submitted on Thursday. Where two guesses in the same order are equally close, the lower ticket number wins, which is the order the boxes were filled in. No tie is ever settled by a draw.

How many prizes one person can win

Each entrant can win only one prize, even if more than one of their guesses is among the closest. Entries sharing an email address or a mobile number are treated as the same person. Only an entrant's closest guess counts; their other guesses are passed over, and the place goes to the next closest guess from a different entrant.

Payment and refunds

Card and instant EFT payments are processed by Paystack. Manual bank transfers and cash paid at the Joseph Project are checked by hand, and tickets are issued once the payment reflects. Ticket prices drop at certain quantities, and launch special prices apply for a limited time; the price shown on the form before you pay is the price charged. Prizes cannot be exchanged for cash. Any payments received after the official closing date and time will not be entered into the competition. Such amounts will automatically be treated as a donation to Joseph Project unless the sender contacts us in writing within 14 days of the winners being announced to request a full refund.

Your information

We collect your name, email address and, where given, your mobile number. They are used to send your tickets, to contact you if you win, and to apply the win cap fairly. We do not sell your information or pass it to anyone outside this competition. You may ask us to correct or delete your details at any time by emailing admin@josephproject.org.za.

The result

The winners are announced on a Facebook live stream on 15 November 2026 at 20:00 (the live stream page on this site takes you there), and the results are then published on josephproject.org.za. The correct number, the winning guesses and the winning ticket numbers are published, so any entrant can check the outcome against their own tickets. Winners are contacted using the details on their order. A winner who cannot be reached may be replaced by the next closest eligible entry, and that change is recorded.

Claiming your prize

Winners must claim their prize within 7 days of the live stream. We will contact each winner by email or phone to arrange collection from the Joseph Project, 410 Commissioner Street, Fairview. If you would prefer to have your prize couriered, we can send it anywhere in South Africa, with the courier cost paid by the winner. A prize that is not claimed within 7 days may be offered to the next eligible entrant.

The organiser

Promoter: Joseph Project, NPO registration 014-780-NPO, PBO 930019694, 410 Commissioner Street, Fairview, Johannesburg. Queries: admin@josephproject.org.za. Employees of the organiser and their immediate families may not enter.