“The African market has great potentials and possesses several unique advantages”

As Commercial Manager at SIS, what are the biggest professional challenges you face daily?

Any responsibility at all will certainly come with its own unique challenges so this role is not void of its own challenges. Some of the major challenges will be Complex sales cycles with long decision-making process involving multiple stakeholders. You may need to navigate complex organizational structures and negotiate with various stakeholders and with all these hassles deals can take several months to close, requiring patience and persistence.

There is a challenge of competition as the supplier segment of the industry has a highly competitive landscape, you find out that many suppliers are competing for limited contracts, but the good thing is that SIS contents are consistently in line with adding value to operators’ revenue. Our contents are premium contents already doing crazy numbers with tier 1 operators in Africa and everywhere else around the world, so this puts us in the right space to compete favourably in the market.

Operators may prioritize cost savings over other factors, making it difficult to demonstrate value but then again we remove any set up fees for operators and will normally negotiate revenue share to make things a lot easier for them. At the end of the day, its a win-win situation because operators will save a lot of cost and get access to so much value from our contents. Facing rejection generally can be challenging, here you have to sometimes deal with rejection and series of objections from potential clients while also finding it difficult to handle failed deals,

It can be emotional but it is what it is.. Managing uncertainty around deal closures, regulatory changes, or market shifts, technical competence of the customer, roadmaps and delivery method are a source of headache, and I also have to ensure that the quota of my target is met in order not to be behind budget. Finally, it is a source of learning to collaborate with global teams with different backgrounds and ideologies, this simply brings out and develop your skills in terms of managing cross-cultural and cross-functional teams and being able to build a good relationship both internally and externally. With all these challenges I have to find a way to maintain a healthy work life balance to avoid burnout which is also very challenging.

What are the main differences between the iGaming market in West Africa and the rest of the continent?

The iGaming market in West Africa has several distinct differences and uniqueness compared to the rest of the continent. West Africa has diverse preference when it comes to iGaming, these preferences can be seen even from one country to another. This diversity is often influenced by culture, level of game awareness and level of education in a particular region. There are places in Africa where number game is a big thing because the people do not really have a clear understanding of how to navigate through sportsbet with various markets and steps to placing bets. Evidently, Cultural attitudes towards gambling, socio-economic conditions, and the availability of internet and smartphones all play significant roles in shaping the iGaming market in West Africa. These factors has lead to unique market dynamics and preferences that distinguishes the region from others on the continent.

Market Size and Growth is another thing to look out for as we know in West Africa iGaming market is substantial, with Nigeria being one of the largest markets on the continent. However, the growth trajectory and market size differ compared to South Africa or East Africa, which have more established iGaming sectors.

This is often attributed to the population of Nigeria which is over 200 million people with about 70% under the age of 30, and this demographic is highly engaged with mobile technology and most likely to be involved in gambling activities. Significantly, West Africa has more betting sites than any other part of Africa. In west Africa there about 123 plus betting sites with a market share of about 40% compared to other parts of Africa. Again, Nigerian and Ghana take major parts of this market share and betting sites in the region.

The regulatory landscape in West Africa varies significantly from country to country. For instance, Nigeria has a relatively liberal approach to gambling, dealing directly with regulating the operators while other countries may have more stringent laws or lack clear regulations altogether.

Some other regions in Africa require game providers to be equally licenced while others come up with taxes and regulations that may limit the growth of the industry but generally in West Africa there is substantive growth due to a more feasible regulatory body within the region, recently in Nigeria the supreme court upheld that the state should be in charge of regulation bringing an end to a long legal battle of regulation between the federal agencies and the state agencies. Operators were faced with double taxation but the judgement by the supreme court has fixed this issue facing the biggest iGaming market in West Africa.

The infrastructure for payments and gaming in West Africa is developing rapidly, but it still lags behind other regions. This will generally affect the user experience and accessibility of iGaming platforms.

Do you see any unique advantages of the African market that could give it an edge over markets in other parts of the world?

The African market has great potentials and possesses several unique advantages that could give it an edge over several other markets in other parts of the world. This is based on the fact that the continent has a very young and large population, the youthful population in Africa is increasingly tech-savvy, making them more likely to engage with online gaming activities. This drives the demand and is largely untapped in many African countries.

The iGaming market in Africa is continually experiencing remarkable growth, driven by increasing internet penetration, mobile usage, and a young, tech-savvy population as I mentioned earlier, and this will continue to grow as Africa’s population is projected to reach 2.5 billion in 2050. The growth rate for African iGaming is substantial, with a projected Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6.28% from 2024 to 2028. This growth rate is slightly lower than the global average but is expected to accelerate as the market continues to mature. In comparison, the global iGaming market is projected to grow at a CAGR of around 10% from 2023 to 2028.

There is a great opportunity in every field of IGaming to thrive more in Africa, there are some African experiences that can also be imbibed into developing interesting games that will do well in Africa and the rest of the world. Africa unlike every other market also have a high level of adoption for mobile gaming which is also in sync with the ideology of mobile money, this marks a significant opportunity for both Game developers and operators to develop mobile games bearing in mind the connectivity level of the region. Operators have to bear this in mind and also endeavour to work with innovative mobile payment solutions which has been on the forefront of the success of online gambling in the region.

There has been a rise of innovative payment solutions which facilitate online transactions, in some part of Africa it is mobile money while this may not be a thing in countries like Nigeria but also have a solid collaboration with fintech companies that also make online transactions a lot easier. There are over 400m mobile phone users in Africa so the growth will not stop. Online revenues is estimated to reach $1.85bn in 2024 and sports betting specifically is expected to be just under half of that. This is up nearly 14% (statista.com).

Do local player preferences influence sales strategies and product development?

A good understanding of the people, their beliefs, culture, behavioural tendencies and environment is the beginning of your success not just in iGaming but in several other businesses. Understanding and catering to local player preferences, iGaming operators can develop effective sales strategies and products that resonate with African players, ultimately driving growth and success in the market.

Just because a product is doing so well in Europe, Asia or other parts of the world does not mean it will perform well in Africa. You must first understand the people and build solutions that are relatable to them, if you make your decisions based on the players in Europe for example, you may be getting it totally wrong. You will need to put the people first and look at developing products that are appealing to the African market and ensure you localize the game contents, including games with local themes, graphics, and soundtracks down to your marketing campaigns.

Secondly, game development in Africa must prioritize mobile devices, ensuring seamless gameplay and user experience on smaller screens. integration of local payment solutions is another area operators must look at ensuring they integrate localized payment solutions to facilitate easy and convenient transactions for African players. Mobile money is a huge thing in Africa but this different from country to country so operators must ensure they research on which works for each country or region.

Lastly, social features and community engagement tool should be incorporated when developing products for the African market. At SIS we understand that Soccer and Numbers are very huge in Africa, that’s why we are pushing in our Competitive Gaming (e-Soccer & e-Basketball) and Live Number Draws which includes the UK 49s, quick fire draws running every 3 minutes round the clock.

What steps should be taken to attract more international operators to Africa?

The onus is on the governments in collaboration with technology partners to develop clear, precise and consistent regulation. These should be regulations investors from anywhere around the world can relate with and trust as being consistent with what is obtainable anywhere else. The regulatory bodies in Africa must ensure regulations align with international standards for responsible gaming, anti-money laundering, and know-your customer processes. They should also ensure that the processes of getting certified or licensed is straightforward without any form of ambiguity that confuses international investors, reduce bureaucracy and encourage market liberalisation to attract more foreign investors.

The various African markets should encourage room for competition while also ensuring the tasks are not too cumbersome on the iGaming businesses because the investor will also normally run a check on the tax conditions and where the investor finds it over the roof they will relent on further consideration.

International investors also wants to invest where their investment is secured so the judicial system in Africa must live up to expectation maintaining the rule of law is key to attracting investors also clear policy on responsible gambling and maintaining player data is very important. Hosting international events is another way of attracting international operators to the continent. Shows like Sigma Africa, AGE, Eventus, IGC Africa are very important shows for the continent. I will also the media in Africa also, have a role in telling the African stories, including the achievements made so far and the pool of talented individuals who are pioneers and leaders in the industry.

Do you foresee any technological innovations that could support the industry’s growth in the region?

Technology never dies; it keeps advancing as the day goes by. There are a lot of technological advancements that are already supporting the industry, and these advancements will continue to progress. Today, AI is our reality, it is still largely untapped but will be an integral part of the industry in the nearest future. You talk of personalised gaming experience through recommendations and enhancing user engagement using predictive analytics which helps to predict player behaviour, enabling data-driven decision-making and AI powered chatbots which provides efficient and effective customer support.

The ongoing advancement of artificial intelligence is expected to bring forth a variety of innovations, including developments in blockchain technology. As global understanding of cryptocurrency expands, Africa will inevitably embrace this trend. Blockchain technology promises to facilitate secure, transparent, and tamper-proof transactions. This will allow participants to engage in transactions using cryptocurrency, while blockchain-based systems will promote fair gaming practices, thereby enhancing trust, consistency, and transparency.

We anticipate significant technological progress, characterized by widespread mobile phone adoption, increased connectivity, and the rollout of 5G networks, which will enable faster data transfers. Additionally, cloud gaming and immersive experiences featuring virtual and augmented reality technologies will provide engaging gaming environments. Improvements in mobile networks and internet infrastructure will further enrich the mobile gaming experience and the industry. Furthermore, I envision a rise in game developers emerging from Africa, who will create games that reflect African history and resonate with local player preferences.