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Africa Gaming Market Forecasts Report, 2022-2027: Kucheza, Kagiso Interactive, Nyamakop, Celestial Games and Kuluya Have a Strong Market Share
The “Africa Gaming Market – Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact and Forecasts (2022-2027)” report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets’ offering.
The gaming industry is expected to register a CAGR of 12% during the forecast period (2021-2026). The Covid-19 pandemic had a positive effect on the African Gaming Market. The pandemic lead to mandated stay-at-home orders, which resulted in the customers spending more time and money on various games and gaming consoles, which led to the growth of the commercial segment of the gaming market.
Key Highlights
- The most recent trend is the growing availability and popularity of multi-functional gaming consoles, which are emerging in the market and helping in growing the market of video games in the region.
- The African region is one of the regions in the world where the youth population is increasing. By 2050, Africa’s young people, i.e., those aged between 0 and 24 years, will witness an increase of around 50%. Africa is expected to have the most significant number of young people. Africa’s youth is critical to the continent’s future when it comes to gaming.
- Moreover, African studios are making new inroads with the launch of original, locally produced content on Netflix. Several local content productions have also been nominated for several global awards, including the Oscars.
- The video games market in South Africa has witnessed strong growth in the past few years. It is expected that there will be more than 11 million gamers in South Africa. Gamers in the country are moving to social gaming, the free-to-play revenue model with downstream in-game purchases. It has become increasingly popular in the country.
- Owing to such factors, the market is expected to witness growth over the forecast period. Countries like Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda are the other top game developers in the African region. The gaming industry is also bringing millions of dollars to countries per year. This is for all categories of video games: mobile, PC, Xbox and PS.
Key Market Trends
Smartphone Segment is Expected to Have Major Market Share
- The proliferation of mobile technology and its associated use cases have unleashed technological evolution in the region. Further, the development of communication technology with leapfrogged traditional advances such as telephones has led to smartphones’ direct adoption.
- These instances have allowed the region to skip the cumbersome and time-consuming process involved in the traditional practices and gave access to newer technologies such as satellite that allowed for quicker installations and reduced costs.
- For instance, according to a report from GSMA published in 2019, an association of mobile network operators worldwide, there are over 747 million active mobile users in sub-Saharan Africa, thereby representing 75% of the population.
- Thereby, with the company marking its entrance into the smartphone market as the first smartphone manufacturer in Africa, it has boosted the region’s ambitions to become a regional technology hub and is expected to the smartphone gaming market.
- A comparative study conducted by the National Center biotechnology information on mobile gaming worldwide stated that smartphone gaming accounts for 24% in Africa.
Piracy, Laws and Regulations, and Concerns Relating to Fraud During Gaming Transactions will Impact the Growth of the Market
- Most African countries have gaming commissions and laws that regulate gambling. South Africa has clear gaming laws and regulations. It was the first country to create gambling regulations on the continent. Also, online casinos are popular in the country.
- In South Africa, several legislative attempts to further restrict online gambling and payment transactions of unlicensed operators have been postponed in recent years. However, some legislators and regulators at the provincial level have called for a less restrictive regime.
- A new advocacy organisation designed to collaborate, coordinate, partner, build and sustain the growth of esports on the continent has been formed. ESFA, or The Esports Federation of Africa, is established by a community of both private esports entities and national federations.
- WESCO affiliates it. With the launch of the ESFA, African gamers now have a voice, an advocate, an organisation with grassroots developments of players at its core. These will provide better opportunities and therefore strengthen the local market in the region.
Competitive Landscape
The gaming market is highly fragmented as the demand for online games and increasing penetration of mobile applications across the region will help attract new players to this market over the next few years. Some of the key developments in the market are Kucheza, Kagiso Interactive, Nyamakop, Celestial Games, Kuluya.
- February 2021- Designed to be accessible to all, Kucheza Gaming is on a mission to help the younger generation prepare for the future of work. They announced the School Esports (video game) League Season 2. Kids and teens come together to play Fortnite, Minecraft and F1 online every Friday for seven weeks. This is done in partnership with Mettlestate.
- March 2021 – Kuku-Ya-Ku is most famous for Monster Hunter World. They are also trying to target the six quests. They have launched the game “Iceborne”, which is proved as a successful launch.
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DATA.BET Exhibits at ICE Barcelona 2026
The company unveils new features and reinforces its focus on casino operators
DATA.BET, a leading sportsbook solution supplier, attends ICE Barcelona 2026 from January 19 to 21, presenting its latest product developments at stand 5G31. Visitors can explore expanded capabilities and recent enhancements, including the newly launched Bet Boost and Picture-in-Picture tools.
Next year, DATA.BET presents its portfolio under the slogan “Betting That Works.” The focus of this approach is to deliver technology that works seamlessly from the moment it is integrated, operating without interruptions. The core priority includes ease of use, flexible customization, growing performance metrics and ongoing technical support from a dedicated team.
At ICE 2026, DATA.BET will highlight a solution for casino operators by demonstrating how adding a sportsbook can enhance user engagement, prolong player activity, and generate new revenue streams. The plug-and-play Single Page Application (iFrame) enables operators to integrate a customizable, SEO-optimized sportsbook around one week, adapted to specific brand designs, promotions, and user flows.
As part of its presence at the exhibition, DATA.BET will run two prize activities at stand 5G31 on January 19–20, giving attendees the chance to win an iPhone 17 Pro. Visitors can participate in one of two ways: by joining the Business Card Lottery, visiting the booth, meeting the team, and leaving a business card, or by taking part in an interactive cosplay challenge featuring DATA.BET cosplayers inspired by iconic characters from the world’s most popular esports titles are taking photos with them and sharing them on LinkedIn. The winners of both activities will be announced at the DATA.BET stands on January 20, in the afternoon.
Otto Bonning, Head of Sales, stated, “At ICE Barcelona, we aim to demonstrate to operators that betting products can be both simple and effective. One primary focus will also be to openly discuss our performance and showcase the numbers that indicate why some of the industry’s leading brands are today using our services. We will cover topics such as delivered margins, the importance of risk management, our SPA (iFrame) capabilities, and new features ready for implementation”.
The post DATA.BET Exhibits at ICE Barcelona 2026 appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.
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Arena Racing Company awarded United Arab Emirates Gaming-Related Vendor License
Arena Racing Company (ARC) has been granted a Gaming-Related Vendor license from the United Arab Emirates’ General Commercial Gaming Authority (GCGRA), an independent entity of the UAE Federal Government with exclusive jurisdiction to regulate, license, and supervise all commercial gaming activities.
The license, operational with immediate effect, affords ARC the opportunity to provide its products and services to licensed operators in the region. Notably, the Racing1 Markets service, an all-in-one horse and greyhound racing solution delivered in conjunction with Racing1 alliance media rights partners at 1/ST CONTENT, Racecourse Media Group (RMG), and Tabcorp, alongside technical partner Pythia Sports. ARC has been added to the list of licensed vendors as per the GCGRA website.
Jack Whitaker, Commercial Manager at ARC, said: “Obtaining this license is a great achievement for ARC and its Racing1 partners. The emerging regulated UAE market is incredibly exciting, and we look forward to showcasing our innovative products and services in the region.”
The post Arena Racing Company awarded United Arab Emirates Gaming-Related Vendor License appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.
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SOFTSWISS 2025: 45% Game Portfolio Growth, LatAm Extensive Expansion and Flagship iGaming Trends Report
SOFTSWISS, an international iGaming technology provider with over 15 years of experience, closed 2025 with a series of key milestones, including the release of the fourth edition of its flagship iGaming Trends Report, the first industry trends conference, and a 45% expansion of its iGaming content portfolio across 24 regulated jurisdictions.
Certified Market Expansion and Industry Leadership
Following certifications in Africa, SOFTSWISS secured full certification in Brazil, one of the world’s largest newly regulated iGaming markets, and expanded its presence in Europe. The company also renewed its partnership with Formula 1 legend Rubens Barrichello, Non-Executive Director in Latin America, entering the second year of collaboration focused on strengthening brand credibility and regional market presence.
The year concluded at SiGMA Central Europe 2025, marking the culmination of the SOFTSWISS content-driven strategy. The event combined the launch of the 4th edition of the flagship 2026 iGaming Trends Report, based on expert insights, AI-driven analysis, and independent research by Kantar, as well as the company’s first four-hour conference, ‘iGaming Trends Marathon’, featuring keynotes and panel discussions, and a three-day live assembly of an Alfa Romeo 4C, which was presented to partner Lottu, reinforcing SOFTSWISS’ partner-first growth model.
Ivan Montik, Founder of SOFTSWISS, comments: “2025 has been a year of global expansion and strengthened market presence for SOFTSWISS as a trusted technology partner, delivering reliable, regulation-ready solutions across Europe, Africa, and Latin America. I am proud that today we provide compliant technology across 14 regulated markets, fully compliant with local requirements and maintaining 100% technical stability for our partners.”
Product Maturity and Technical Performance
The SOFTSWISS Game Aggregator has strengthened its position as a reliable iGaming content hub, delivering high-quality games from in-demand studios and now featuring over 40,000 active games from more than 300 providers. With 99.999% uptime, it expanded availability in new markets, including Brazil and Peru. With over 600 clients worldwide, the solution remains a trusted engine for casino growth.
The SOFTSWISS Sportsbook continued to scale as a platform-agnostic and mobile-first solution. In 2025, the platform expanded its bonus mechanics, added new gamification features, and introduced additional content verticals to support a wider range of betting strategies. SOFTSWISS launched its first Sportsbook Network Jackpot with a €35,000 initial pool, awarding over €80,000 to the first winner.
Operators benefit from fast rollout on any casino platform and strong risk and retention support. With the Sportsbook setup times as short as 14 days, its partners are well-positioned to prepare for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Jackpot Aggregator celebrated a record Prime Network Jackpot win of 1,400,000 euro and several product advancements. New features include paid participation campaigns, customisable jackpot widgets, and enhanced drops and multi-prize mechanics, providing operators with more efficient tools to engage and retain players. As a result, operators launched over 500 jackpot campaigns in 2025, generating more than 70,000 jackpot hits.
The SOFTSWISS Casino Platform marked its 12th year with strong client satisfaction, achieving a score of 8.3 out of 10, according to Kantar research. Focused upgrades in stability, management, and compliance further strengthened its role as a reliable software for online casino operations.
Affilka by SOFTSWISS continued its upward trajectory, surpassing 500,000 affiliate accounts and 122 million registered players. New features, including advanced click analytics, API-based campaign tools, and a sub-affiliate revenue share model, further support operators seeking more efficient and data-driven affiliate programmes
New Markets & Compliance
Throughout the year, SOFTSWISS maintained a strong industry presence, participating in 50+ events, delivering 27 public speaking sessions, and receiving 28 industry awards across Europe, Latin America, Africa, and South Asia for its product portfolio, marketing execution, and individual professional achievements. Together, these results reinforce SOFTSWISS’ position as a reliable, regulation-ready technology partner with proven scale and long-term relevance across global markets.
About SOFTSWISS
SOFTSWISS is an international technology company with over 15 years of experience in developing innovative solutions for the iGaming industry. SOFTSWISS provides comprehensive software for managing iGaming projects. The company’s product portfolio includes the Casino Platform, the Game Aggregator with over 40,00 casino games, Affilka Affiliate Platform, the Sportsbook Software and the Jackpot Aggregator. The expert team, based in Malta, Poland, and Georgia, counts over 2,000 employees.
The post SOFTSWISS 2025: 45% Game Portfolio Growth, LatAm Extensive Expansion and Flagship iGaming Trends Report appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.
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