South Africa is set for a period of digital growth. Opportunities in the region look to help smooth the digital divide. Many industries could benefit. One of those is the online casino industry. Digital trends and the application of technology may help the industry continue to flourish, but what factors will boost the online casino industry in South Africa?
One of the main factors affecting the growth of South Africa’s online casino industry is the proliferation of smartphones and the availability of mobile gameplay. Being able to engage with the same desktop experience from a device many have anyway means that more people will be likely to get involved.
The list of online casinos available on casinomarket.com
shows that mobile gameplay is a key factor in South African customers selecting a site. Boasting a strong mobile app or engaging mobile experience is a feature most sites are quick to showcase, showing how important they are for an increasingly mobile target market. This follows the global trend that shows more people are wanting to use mobile for entertainment purposes. For instance, mobile gaming has surpassed all other modes combined.
Greater internet connectivity looks to help the industry grow. For example, new companies such as SimpliConnect, an internet service provider, are cropping up to help businesses engage with digital technology solutions – from the cloud to software as a service. This comes down to the improved connectivity and the promise of what this connectivity could do to traditionally analogue businesses.
The deployment of commercial 5G in South Africa and trials across the region suggest a period of growth throughout sub-Saharan Africa.
The current figure of 500 million sub-Saharan African subscribers is expected to rise to 614 million by 2025. However, the current penetration rate remains at 45%, with the cap expected to hit 50% by 2025. This represents a huge amount of people who won’t have engaged with these services. But, for business savvy, it also represents a great deal of potential.
However, the same experts predict that by 2025, only 3% of connections will be on 5G. They suspect that 27% will be on 4G by the same time period. So while the technology could help some businesses grow and some people engage with things in a new way, for many it won’t. But those who won’t yet be on 5G may instead be harnessing desktop-based connections or simple Wi-Fi. And many who are doing so may not have done beforehand. So, while 5G by 2025 doesn’t look as promising, digital connectivity on the whole does.
The digital divide does still remain, but the attempts to change this through better mobile technology and a proliferation of internet connection and 5G accessibility aim to fix this. As far as the online casino industry goes, these factors look promising and suggest that there could be some positive growth. Customer habits are beginning to lean towards digital means over analogue ones, which adds further possibilities to the industry. Ultimately, online casino in South Africa looks to have a bright future.