Fake winner messages
How real South African competition winners are actually contacted, and how to check a WhatsApp or SMS message claiming you have won.
Read itHow to win a holiday in South Africa
Holidays are some of the most entered prizes in the country, and some of the most faked. This is how travel and getaway competitions in South Africa actually work, where to find the real ones, and what to check before you enter.
Where travel competitions come from
Most travel competitions in South Africa are run by brands that want you to buy something: grocery brands at Checkers, Shoprite, Pick n Pay and SPAR, wine estates, banks and card issuers, and airlines. The holiday is the headline prize that makes a product promotion worth noticing.
The rest come from hotel groups, tourism boards, radio stations and magazines. These are often free to enter, because what the promoter wants is attention or your email address rather than a sale.
Getaway or holiday: know which you are entering
A getaway competition is usually a short stay close to home: a weekend at a game lodge, a night at a wine farm, a spa break or a city hotel. They are easier to use, because you only need a free weekend and a way to get there.
A holiday competition is the big trip, often for two, often overseas, and often with flights included. They are worth more, but they come with more conditions, so read the terms before you spend money to enter.
How you enter
Loyalty card draws are the most common. You buy the qualifying products and swipe Xtra Savings, Smart Shopper, SPAR Rewards or Clicks ClubCard at the till, and the swipe is your entry. Keep the till slip, because the promoter can ask for it.
Till slip competitions ask you to send a photo of your slip on WhatsApp or upload it to a website. Free competitions usually need nothing more than a short online form.
Every listing on Yebo Wins says which method applies and whether you have to spend anything, so you can skip the ones that are not worth it to you.
What a holiday prize really covers
Accommodation is nearly always included. Flights, airport transfers, meals, activities, visas, travel insurance and spending money vary, and the prize description in the terms is the only reliable answer.
Look for the travel window and blackout dates too. Many prizes must be used by a set date, and many exclude school holidays and the December peak.
For overseas trips, you and your guest normally need passports valid for at least six months after you travel. Most prizes cannot be swapped for cash or given to someone else.
How to spot a fake holiday win
Fake trip wins usually arrive as a WhatsApp, SMS or social media message using a real brand's name. The tell is always the same: to claim, you have to pay a booking fee, a levy or a deposit, or hand over card details or a one time PIN.
A genuine promoter does not charge you to receive a prize. If in doubt, find the competition on the brand's own website or on Yebo Wins and contact the promoter through the details in the official terms, never the number that messaged you.