Refugee family wins $4m Home Lottery prize after buying ticket to give back to charity

They endured civil war and refugee camps – now this young SA family can live like multimillionaires, thanks to a single ticket in one of SA’s biggest home lotteries.

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After a life spent fleeing civil war and enduring refugee camps in Africa, a South Australian family’s fortunes have turned in the state’s home lottery.

Aristide Nininahazwe and his partner Esther Mboneye, of Lockleys, bought one single life-changing ticket in the Hospital Research Foundation Home Lottery, which sold more than 200,000.

The family won a new $3m home in Henley Beach – and a $1m in cash.

Mr Nininahazwe could barely believe it when Andrew ‘Cosi’ Costello called on SAFM’s breakfast radio to tell him he had the lucky ticket.

“You’re joking Cosi,” Mr Nininahazwe said.

After a life spent fleeing civil war and enduring refugee camps in Africa, Aristide Nininahazwe and his partner Esther Mboneye have won $1m and a new house in the Hospital Research Foundation HomeLottery. Picture: 7NEWS

But Cosi wasn’t joking and reality kicked in for Mr Nininahaze and Ms Mboneye when they were handed the keys to their new Henley Beach home on Thursday.

“This home is just perfect, for my little girl and my little one on the way,” Ms Mboneye said.

The pair fled Burundi more than a decade ago and came to Australia as refugees.

They have since built their lives in Adelaide, Mr Nininahazwe working as a support worker and Ms Mboneye as a nurse.

Esther Mboneye is presented with the $1m cheque inside her new home. Picture: 7NEWS

Mr Nininahazwe told 7NWS they always look for opportunities to give back.

“Our aim was not to win this, it was just to give back to the community,” he said.

“Sometimes, saying thank you is just not enough, but we are so grateful.”

In addition to the new home, the pair were also awarded a cheque for $1m.

It comes after a Seaford woman won nearly $900,000 in Saturday X Lotto – with another winning SA ticket still unclaimed.

If you want to increase your odds of winning the lottery, we can reveal Adelaide’s luckiest lottery ticket sellers over the past few years.

The Lott has supplied a five-year span of the highest winnings to better report the luck of some outlets.

And if you want to increase your chances of landing the Powerball jackpot, here are some of the tips.

Meanwhile, have you ever wondered which SA home lottery gives you the best odds?

From spectacular multimillion-dollar homes to luxury cars, glorious holiday retreats in the state’s best locations, caravans, ski boats, travel packages, wine and wads of cash, the prizes on offer to support a local charity are astonishing – and more extravagant than ever before. We examine the odds here.