‘Are you telling me the truth?’

18 August 2009 - 16:05 By Claire Keeton : 4 July 2009
subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now

Chantel Otte, 29, applied for a R2000 bank loan on Thursday morning, only to find out just hours later that she had won R100000 for taking an HIV test.

When Otte discovered she was the latest winner in the Discovery Health Sunday Times Right to Know competition, she could not believe her luck.





She had initially not wanted to take the phone call alerting her to her win because she did not recognise the number, but her partner, Jackie Prinsloo, encouraged her to pick up the call.



“Are you telling the truth?” she kept asking , before jumping in her car to come straight to the Sunday Times office to confirm her good fortune was not a prank.



Otte is the 11th winner in the year-long competition to promote HIV testing, which has attracted about 60000 entries.



This month is the final chance for anyone who takes an HIV test to win R100000.



Otte, an import controller from Alberton, east of Johannesburg, said she entered the competition at her office last year.





“We had a wellness day organised by Discovery and normally I’m too busy to take part. But this time I decided to go and do it. When I saw the form, I filled it in and forgot about it. I didn’t think about it twice. You never think this (winning a prize) will happen to me!



“I did feel nervous about the test. You never know, but it’s better to know,” she said. She did her first HIV test about 10 years ago to take out an insurance policy.



Otte urged all South Africans to find out their HIV status. “I definitely suggest everyone takes an HIV test, with everything that is going on. It gives you peace of mind.”





Otte said she was shaking with excitement when she heard about her windfall. “I’ve got financial problems and I was at the bank in the morning to get a loan,” said Otte.





She said she would use her winnings to service her car and pay off substantial debt.



“I will never get into debt again. I will use the money to sort my life out. I will not party with it,” said Otte.

  • This month is the last chance to enter the Right to Know competition. The entry form can also be found at righttoknow.co.za
subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now