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Africa

Why your next million players are in MEA and Turkey, and how to access them

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Onur Ergüney – Director of Global Partnerships for Gaming & e-Sports, TPAY MOBILE

COVID 19 has been the catalyst for the biggest transformation to people’s lives in recent history. Little else has brought on such seismic shifts in the way people work, play, communicate and live, since the creation of smartphones themselves.

The fourth industrial revolution has arrived faster than anyone could have predicted, especially in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) and Turkey. This combined region has a population of over 1.6 billion people, a fast-expanding middle class, and, through the power of mobile technology, is more connected than ever.

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A long-standing barrier for scaled-up mobile games distribution in the region – the lack of access to banking infrastructure for subscriptions and the purchasing of games and in-app-purchases (IAPs) – is falling fast. By 2025, 834 million people across MEA will be mobile internet users, and through direct carrier billing (DCB) technology and eMoney wallets, they will have the freedom to spend on gaming like never before.

Untapped opportunity

A relatively untapped marketplace of a billion+ potential players is powering up and set to flip your revenue forecasts upside down if you play your cards right. In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) for instance, the games industry is currently valued at $4.5 billion according to Frost & Sullivan. That may be just 4% of the global total, but, it is the world’s fastest-growing region, with a year-on-year growth rate of 25%. On a grander scale, MENA makes up 80% of this growth whilst the other 20% is amassed in Sub Saharan Africa. According to one prediction from GSMA, the region will count for 709 million individual SIM connections by 2025.

In other words, Mobile is everything across the MEA and Turkey, and this should be explored as your next frontier of growth. However, you need to know how to access it.

Access is key, and access is different

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Accessing these new markets isn’t simply a case of re-branding what has worked in the past. Your games may well be attractive in these new markets but the systems and processes that power them, and importantly, monetise them, won’t be the same. There are different rules and regulations for advertising, for example, and variations on what purchases or transactions do and don’t constitute gambling. Direct debits for app stores or card payments for IAPs are not common practice in these territories. Across the 20+ countries that make up MEA and Turkey, there is a rich tapestry of cultural differences that result in different ways of purchasing digital goods like games.

Establish partnerships to access these players

To turn your players into payers, the best advice I can give is to establish strategic partnerships – find experts on the ground that can work with you. You are no longer just a games publisher, with your partner network you become a FinTech, a games publisher, a games developer and even an evangelist for a new world of mobile gaming. Ecosystems are everything.

The global language is APIs, not Esperanto

Each territory has its quirks and opportunities, and only by having knowledgeable inside help will you be able to truly navigate the differences in approaching sales and distributions of your titles. Understanding the common services in territories is key for traction, an example being that the Middle East has widely adopted DCB (Direct Carrier Billing) for mobile payments and subscriptions in recent years, whereas mobile wallets are the transaction tool of choice in Subsaharan Africa.

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Games developers want simple integrations that cover the back-end systems. If you find the team that can provide that, they will keep up with evolving regulations in new territories, keeping your games online. This allows you to do what you do best: making high quality, desirable games.

Games publishers expect great user flows. What makes games more interesting than other e-commerce platforms is that they are live systems. The user makes purchase decisions in real-time, while remaining within the game. This is also what creates complexity when it comes to transactions, but there is an answer. The key is to integrate a seamless payment flow within the game, minimising player disruption.

Find an ecosystem that works across borders. One thing that is global is the API. If you want to successfully break into these emerging markets, you need to build a partnership network that understands the intricacies of these technologies.

Should you wait?

Simply put, no.

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Sub-Saharan Africa is the fastest-growing market of all for mobile-penetration, it would be an oversight to not properly explore the MEA and Turkey as a key element of future games monetisation for the future.

MEA and Turkey host a relatively untapped market for games publishing and eSports monetisation, not to mention a fast-growing pool of local influencers – now is the time to make inroads into the gaming sector in such markets. It has been said that the early bird catches the worm – this wisdom is just as true today.

The previously non-existent infrastructure required to sell and monetise mobile games has been replaced. Suddenly, the opportunity is there for the taking. Venture into these new territories, and the partnerships you form now will help grow your company and its market share exponentially, by creating opportunities to engage new gamers. Whilst boosting your business into the next 50 years, you have an opportunity to entertain many millions of people who are fast to become your next loyal, player base.

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Africa

Soft2Bet takes its first steps into Africa with a multi-year Turnkey deal with media leader Channels TV

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Soft2Bet has signed a multi-year turnkey agreement with leading Nigerian media company Channels Media Group to provide its powerful platform solution and Managed Services in the largest regulated market in Africa.

As part of the deal Soft2Bet will power Waddibet, Channels Media Group’s online sports betting and casino offering, driving value for the group by managing its entire customer acquisition and retention strategy through its market-leading ‘Managed Services’ offering.

The partnership will make full use of Channels local knowledge and Soft2Bet’s online sports betting and casino expertise as the broadcaster leverages its reach to deploy Soft2Bet’s Motivational Engineering Gamification Application (MEGA), the gamification solution that enables operators to deliver market-leading ROI by providing quality content and driving player engagement in regulated jurisdictions.

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Regulatory expansion

Soft2Bet’s regulatory footprint grew significantly in 2023 as the group entered major markets like Sweden, Denmark, Romania and Italy and in 2024 this has continued and it is set to forge ahead on this path with worldwide expansion into Africa’s largest economy and most populous country with Channels TV.

As the company executes on its strategic roadmap throughout 2025 it will continue integrating new partners to its B2B platform and adding to its content library to deliver the richest and most complete turnkey solution for its partners.

Martin Collins, Chief Business Development Officer of Soft2Bet, said: “As a group, Soft2Bet is truly delighted to announce its first African partnership with a high-calibre media partner like Channels TV. Nigeria is the continent’s largest economy and a vibrant market and the combination of Channels TV’s strong brand equity and our highly localised and powerful solutions will deliver strong growth in this major market.”

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Tobi Momoh, Group Strategist & Consultant of Channels Media Group, added: “Our joining forces with Soft2Bet will see us  blend our local expertise with their cutting-edge online sports betting and casino operations. We’re also highly excited at the thought of integrating Soft2Bet’s MEGA gamification and are confident in our ability to deliver premium content and elevate player engagement across this market. Together, we’re committed to setting new industry standards and establishing a leading iGaming brand that will provide unmatched entertainment to our players.”

The post Soft2Bet takes its first steps into Africa with a multi-year Turnkey deal with media leader Channels TV appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Africa

BetBlocker expands to support African markets with the launch of Bemba, Nyanja and Tonga language support

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BetBlocker, the UK registered gambling charity that provides free, anonymous to use blocking software, had today announced the expansion of service to support users in the Bemba, Nyanja and Tonga languages.

With a rapidly expanding userbase, this is the first language support provided by BetBlocker to specifically target users in Africa. Using funding provided by Entain to support Zambian users, these three languages were selected and the most prominent indigenous languages, with almost 75% of the Zambian population speaking one of these dialects.

Working in partnership with Fresh Start Zambia, a charitable organisation working to minimise gambling harm, who supported the translation work, the three languages go live today.

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Founder and Trustee for BetBlocker, Duncan Garvie, had this to say about the launch of the Bemba, Nyanja and Tonga versions of the app:

“For BetBlocker it’s critical to be able to reach users in a language that they can comfortably engage in to ensure a smooth and speedy set-up process. Native languages also help us step past cultural barriers, showing that BetBlocker isn’t simply available to these communities, it’s actively working to support them.

This is especially important in under-served and under-supported markets, like many of the African countries. The sad truth is that there simply aren’t the support services available for many African nationals that exist in more established jurisdictions. To my mind that makes it doubly important to ensure that BetBlocker is available and easily accessing.”

The post BetBlocker expands to support African markets with the launch of Bemba, Nyanja and Tonga language support appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Africa

Altenar obtains National Manufacturer licence in South Africa

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Leading sportsbook provider prepares to debut in African market after rigorous certification process

Altenar, a leading sportsbook and iGaming software provider, has successfully obtained a licence from the Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board (WCGRB), marking a significant milestone in its expansion into the burgeoning South African market.

Altenar is now a registered and licenced National Manufacturer in the thriving jurisdiction, following a rigorous process. During the initial stages, several stakeholders were required to complete detailed KYC and compliance checks, as well as fill in significant paperwork to demonstrate the provider’s suitability.

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This latest market debut demonstrates Altenar’s position as a sought-after partner with a flexible and localised solution. The opportunity opens up the doors to further expansion on the African continent and demonstrates its appeal to operators across multiple continents.

Sam Hill, Sales Director at Altenar, said: “Altenar is delighted to receive our licence to supply our sportsbook solution into South Africa. It is another significant step for us globally and is a key target market for us to further establish our product. We’re confident we have all the necessary product features and quality to offer the best solution on the market. This is across core sports such as football and racing, as well as offering customers the ease to prioritise key local content and sports via our highly flexible UI/UX.

“There are also a variety of ways that we support seamless cross-sell between products, which in a market such as South Africa, with the popularity of all verticals, will stand us and our customers in good stead. We are looking forward to the future in South Africa and the wider African market.”

The post Altenar obtains National Manufacturer licence in South Africa appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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