IT WAS an early Christmas present for Thembi Mahlaba from Qwaqwa in the Free State when she discovered she had won a R250000 cash prize after entering the Lunch Bar competition.

IT WAS an early Christmas present for Thembi Mahlaba from Qwaqwa in the Free State when she discovered she had won a R250000 cash prize after entering the Lunch Bar competition.

Consumers were invited to enter the competition by SMS.

Mahlaba's entry was randomly selected from 350000 entries.

The competition ran concurrently with Lunch Bar's sponsorship of SA's Got Talent, the local version of the worldwide TV show.

Mahlaba was invited to attend the grand finale of the show in Johannesburg last week, where she was presented with her fantastic prize.

The show showcased some of South Africa's top talent from across the country.

Mahlaba, who is unemployed, said she now planned to buy her family a house and that she would spend some of the money on her two children's education.

Her smile said it all as she grinned broadly when receiving Lunch Bar's cheque.

A lucky winner indeed!