iGaming: The Future is Bright for Africa

Africa is the only region on the planet where the proportion of the young population is growing. According to estimates, nearly half of the continent’s population will be under 25 years old by 2050. This, along with the young people’s affinity for technology, makes the African continent the perfect growth market for gaming of all kinds – and this includes iGaming as well.

According to studies conducted in several markets across Africa, the preferred form of gambling in many countries is sports betting. Africans are especially enthusiastic about sports, and the recent quick growth of connected devices, mostly smartphones, has offered them a quick and easy way to follow their favourite players and teams, as well as place bets on their performance.

At the same time, another branch of iGaming – the casino industry – is showing accentuated growth as well. Thanks to international gaming groups like Betway offering high-profile services, gaming and betting are now accessible to pretty much anyone with a smartphone in their pocket. All it takes is a handset and an internet connection to follow the match of your favourite team or choose your preferred form of Betway live casino games and enjoy a few minutes – or hours – with your favourite form of entertainment.

Growing infrastructure

Although pretty much everything has come to a standstill last year, the growth of digital infrastructure has not. The number of people owning a mobile phone – many of them a smartphone – has grown exponentially. Today, Africa’s mobile penetration is more than 80% – it reached this figure in 2018 – and several manufacturers, like Tecno, have even focused their entire manufacturing capacity on the African market. At the same time, gaming, eCommerce, and other digital services have shown quick growth – no doubt pushed by the atypical year we had in 2020. Sports betting software is another challenge as the industry has not grown fast enough to meet the growing market.

And with them, iGaming has also continued to grow – and will continue to do so in 2021.

Big names and home-grown brands

Several major international betting and iGaming brands, like the above-mentioned Betway and other big brands, have already taken a foothold in several African countries. At the same time, there are local initiatives that “speak the language” also growing in importance and reach. For years, retail was the dominant outlet for betting and gaming – but the younger the client pool gets, and the more accessible digital alternatives become, much of the activity in this segment will transition toward iGaming and betting.

The economic power of African countries is growing steadily as we speak. The people love their sports, and will happily bet on it. These two, along with their increasingly digital life makes African countries, in general, a great growth market for iGaming, an industry with a bright future in the area.