What Global Gaming Suppliers Need to Get Right before Expanding Into South Africa
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The global iGaming market is booming, with the number of players and total revenues growing in various parts of the world. Due to intense competition in prime markets, a lot of game suppliers are now turning more forcefully towards emerging markets and South Africa ranks high on the list of the most promising countries. Still, expansion to SA is fraught with many risks and suppliers must take local regulations as well as player mentality into account before making their moves.
When developing games, it’s imperative to take the South African legal landscape and key trends into account and deliver unique games that differ from standard titles released elsewhere.
Understanding and Honouring Local Rules
To put it simply, iGaming laws in South Africa are quite confusing. The country officially prohibits casino gambling online, and allows only sports betting and related wagers. However, since every province has the power to write its own regulations, in some parts of the country it’s acceptable to host games that don’t neatly fit into ‘sports bet’ definition, including so called ‘fixed odds wagers’ that are basically just slots under another name. Game developers should be aware of the nuances, and build their products in a way that doesn’t make them liable to accusations of breaking the rules. The best way to do this is to work directly with South African iGaming site operators and ask for guidance when in doubt.
Developing Mobile-First Games
While South Africa is a huge market, it’s also one dominated by low-tech access to digital products. To be more precise, local players prefer to use their smartphones to play games, transfer funds, and conduct all other activities related to the act of gaming. That means games with demanding graphics and complex commands are poorly suited for this market, as they don’t work too well on a smaller screen and over slower, sometimes unreliable internet. That’s why global game studios need to do more than just allow browser access from a phone – make games that are comfortable to play on a handheld device and possibly while on the move. This trend is already present globally, but in South Africa it’s considerably more pronounced.
Focusing on Dynamic and Engaging Games
The game genre is another very delicate question. Already limited by legal definitions, the choice of games in South Africa is also shaped by what the audience demands. Simple games with mild learning curves are the safest option since they are accessible to all segments of the population. At the same time, these games still need to squeeze through the regulatory cracks and avoid attracting controversy. Some of the popular solutions are virtual sports and multiplication games, which involve the element of simulated sports but also depend on the random factor to a large degree. Such games fit well into mobile format and require only a minimum of skill to be reasonably successful.
Transparency of Winning Odds
Perhaps South African players have a taste for simple games, but that doesn’t mean they are naïve about the true nature of iGaming. Most of the player base consists of individuals with limited financial means, and they are likely to chase games that promise strong pay-outs without risking large amounts. Even more importantly, the risk-to-reward ratio of the game needs to be immediately clear based on information provided within the game. The game must be winnable and relatively predictable, or it will fail to capture the imagination of smart players who are seeking the biggest gains. For this market, honesty is more important than eye-catching visuals or VIP programs that require heavy spending.