Namhla Tshisela

Namhla Tshisela

Bingo lovers in Gauteng are in for a surprise this week when US President Barack Obama's stepmother joins them for a few games in aid of charity.

Passionate bingo player Kezia Obama, 66, pictured, arrived in South Africa on Saturday to raise funds for Operation Hunger.

Bingo is a lottery game of numbers that is popular with women. Players buy printed sheets before the start of each game and try to match them to the numbers being called to a specific pattern specified at the start of the game.

The first person to mark off the numbers matching the pattern shouts out "Bingo" and collects a percentage of the total stake money or some other prize.

Speaking in Johannesburg yesterday at the launch of Viva Bingo's Charity Week, Obama said she started playing the game on her arrival in Britain three years ago.

"A friend introduced me to bingo because I was lonely. Now I play at least three times a week, even on Sundays," she said.

Obama was due to play at five bingo centres in Roodepoort, Alberton and Pretoria from today until Saturday.