What would you do if you woke up tomorrow and found that $1,000,000 had suddenly been dropped into your bank account? Would you hop on the first plane to Mexico and enjoy a relaxing vacation by the beach, or would you call up the bank to inform them of their error?
Well, one South African student found herself in this exact predicament, but she decided to simply start spending. Keep reading to find out how Sibongile Mani experienced a life of luxury for a brief couple of months, then spent years paying for it.
One morning, student Sibongile Mani woke up to find that nearly $1,000,000 had been deposited into her bank account
olia danilevich / Pexels (not the actual photo)
In 2017, Sibongile Mani was a second-year accounting student at Walter Sisulu University in East London, South Africa. To help cover her living costs, Mani was receiving monthly payments from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme of approximately $96 USD.
However, on June 1, 2017, Mani woke up to what she described as a “miracle” or a “gift from God.” Due to a clerical error, nearly $1,000,000 USD (or $851,000 USD in 2026) had been transferred into her bank account.
Instead of calling the bank or the financial aid office to alert them of this error, the 27-year-old decided to take advantage of her good fortune. And over the next two and a half months, she spent around $65,000 (or $860 per day).
Naturally, she began spending the money like there was no tomorrow
drobotdean / Magnific (not the actual photo)
“She went from a hard-up, humdrum, run-of-the-mill student to one who was leading a lavish lifestyle and seemed to have no bottom to her purse and lived the high life,” a fellow student told the New York Post.
“She became very glamorous in beautiful dresses with all the accessories, and we thought she must have won the lottery,” the student continued. “She must have thought she had won it too when she got that cash!”
Along with going on shopping sprees, Mani apparently started throwing elaborate parties for her and her friends, as well as jetsetting around the country to attend fabulous events.
Because the student’s lifestyle changed so drastically, seemingly overnight, it was obvious to those around her. And some of her peers quickly became suspicious.
But it didn’t take long for Sibongile’s purchases to catch up to her
magnific / Magnific (not the actual photo)
Eventually, her antics caught up to her after she left behind a supermarket receipt stating that she had approximately $1,000,000 in her bank account. On August 13, Mani was reported to the police, arrested, and charged with fraud and theft.
Judge Twanette Olivier then slapped the student with a harsh, five-year prison sentence. “You, and yourself, made the decision on June 1, 2017, and you did so repeatedly for 73 consecutive days, numerous times per day,” she told Mani in court.
However, Mani’s lawyer, Asanda Pakade, appealed the charges on the grounds that her client had not been a danger to society and had not sought out the money herself.
After only two and a half months, authorities were made aware of her situation
Ono Kosuki / Pexels (not the actual photo)
In 2023, two judges at the East London High Court in Makhanda decided to suspend Mani’s prison sentence so long as she committed no theft or fraud during that time. She was also required to complete 14 weeks of community service and undergo counseling, but she did not have to pay back the money she had spent.
Understandably, students at Walter Sisulu University were furious with Mani after details emerged. “We are shocked. Not so long ago we were protesting for thousands of students who were left without funding due to fund shortages,” SASCO branch chairman Zolile Zamisa told the press.
“Yet she was living a lavish lifestyle hosting birthday parties for her friends at upmarket champagne clubs and other expensive hangouts,” Zamisa continued. “This cannot be allowed to happen again.”
A judge then sentenced the student to five years in prison
KATRIN BOLOVTSOVA / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Thankfully, however, a spokesperson from the University, Yonela Tukwayo, told the New York Post that no one else was impacted by the error. “All students who were due to receive NSFAS payments got them,” she stated.
After all of the legal drama, Pakade said that Mani was looking forward to “putting all this behind her and starting again.”
“[She] is looking forward to starting afresh and is very grateful that the court took the decisions that it took,” the lawyer said. She may not have $1,000,000 in her bank account, but this experience has likely taught her that peace is priceless.
We would love to hear your thoughts on this situation in the comments below, pandas. What would you have done if you were in Mani’s shoes? Then, if you’re interested in checking out another article from Bored Panda featuring similar drama, look no further than right here!
Social media users had plenty to say about Sibongile’s case
@zethugqola She never deserved such a heavy sentence to begin with!!! #tiktoknews #southafrica #sibongilemani ♬ original sound – Zethu
Netizens found the entire situation to be incredibly amusing
