Find out about best practices in Africa’s iGaming marketing that is backed by proven results, showcasing high-performing, localised content, all contributing to 32% revenue growth rates reaching 1.18 billion euros in 2024. Thus, backing the staggering forecasts reported by many.
Furthermore, you can enjoy snippets of success and tips for operating in the iGaming industry in Africa.
In February 2024, the Western Cape in South Africa announced a 32% year-on-year increase in gambling revenue, reaching €1.18 billion.
It is a clear indication as to why operating in Africa is such an attractive topic, reinforced by Blask.com’s data predicting similar growth trends in Nigeria, Kenya, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Strategically, countries such as Mozambique, display massive growth potential, with few operators currently in the market yet already yielding attractive returns. Overall, this is great news for both affiliates and operators looking to diversify their portfolios and reach by including emerging markets into their strategies.
But are you ready for it? Here is what you need to know:
Africa isn’t Africa
South Africa, for example, the most talked-about of them all, is home to 11 official languages and vast cultures, each with its own unique nuances. Local legislation allows casinos to operate under a sportsbook license, where players can place a bet on a slot or a crash game. Players typically follow a European-style betting approach.
In contrast, Nigerian players tend to follow a US-style betting pattern, characterised by high-stakes behaviour. The “one strategy fits all” in Africa will fail. Success lies in targeting the right audience and knowing your specific market exceptionally well, both of which will be further unpacked.
Acquisition and Marketing
Acquisition is a different game in Africa, with regulated casinos being unable to advertise as “online casinos” in South Africa. Coupled with Google pulling paid advertising in Ghana and Nigeria, voiding traditional “copy-paste” acquisition strategies which have proven highly effective in tier-one territories can be challenging or outright impossible.
However, it does allow for traditional advertising combined with social media, a creative, effective and engaging arena. A prime example is Nigeria, where players respond more favourably to traditional one-to-one marketing tactics with BetKing perfecting this mix with their Danfo Lagos campaign in December 2024. This campaign featured the well-known and influential music artist Broda Shaggi, bringing in the following results:
+56% bets
+147% stakes
+131% unique players
This was successfully achieved by effectively engaging the Nigerian target market through influencers, taxi and on-street promoters, and a low-data, geo-specific game created by Split the Pot, who works closely with African operators to create localised campaigns.
Localisation
The “spray and pray” approach of copy-pasting content, with most relying on AI to translate into a local language, is almost a guaranteed recipe for failure and disappointment. First, there isn’t enough gaming-related content online for AI to translate accurately, and secondly, a minimum deposit of €20 exceeds the daily wage of €11 in South Africa, for example. It may seem obvious, but many have fallen into this same trap.
Data and Mobile Usage
Mobile-first is non-negotiable in the African market, as people rely heavily on mobile data due to limited access to Wi-Fi services. This is coupled with the need for integration of lightweight, data-efficient games. Lobbies will soon be unrecognisable in comparison to tier-one operators, filled with crash games and localised content.
Data is a great expense in both weekly wages and monthly budgets, and it is mostly used on prepaid, older smartphone devices, with top mobile brands being HiSense and Samsung, followed by Vivo and Honor, some of which cost less than a Starbucks flat-white.
Thus, it is essential to test on these devices to optimise data consumption and ensure an optimal player experience. Yes, this may seem obvious, but when was the last time a new operator actually did this?
With data being expensive, data-free casinos are non-negotiable. Logic might lead you to asking, “but how can they afford to place a bet, if they can’t afford data?” This was explained by a data supplier who saw an operator's figures increase by 140% in one month after becoming data-free. This shows that most players, known as R5 (0.26 Euro) bettors, will spend R45 on a taxi to get to a sports betting shop to place their R5 bet. However, if it's a data-free sportsbook, they are more likely to place the full R50 bet.
Payments
The unregulated market in South Africa can be challenging to navigate at first, particularly in terms of payment providers, as they aren’t as clear-cut as those in conventional tier-one markets. Additionally, crypto is not a dominant player in this market either.
There are some unconventional avenues to explore that accommodate the majority of South Africans, who are weekly, cash wage earners. Kiosks and spaza shops (mini-market convenience stores) sell vouchers for players to redeem on sportsbooks. If you can tap into this market, it will become your preferred payment provider in Africa.
Conquer the Great African Continent
Yes, Africa is a vastly different market to enter in comparison to your tier one markets, but the potential to coin it is there!
Once your mindset is geared towards understanding the market and providing solutions to challenges faced by African players, you will certainly be able to tap into a dormant goldmine with endless opportunities.
Explore this exciting emerging market, which shows massive growth potential and attractive returns as more data begins to indicate. You can safely bet on never looking back by entering the lucrative African market as an operator and reaping the rewards of a winning future.
Explore these and other topics at Eventus International’s upcoming events: https://www.eventus-international.com/
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