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Industry leaders discussed localisation strategies and regulatory compliance challenges for African iGaming expansion at ICE Barcelona.
Feb 24, 2026 · 3 min read
SOFTSWISS and KingMakers executives shared insights on expanding across African iGaming markets during a panel at ICE Barcelona 2026.
The discussion featured Olga Resiga, Chief Business Development Officer at SOFTSWISS, and Ronnie Whelan, CEO of KingMakers, examining how operators can scale sustainably across diverse African jurisdictions.
Whelan emphasised that Africa offers strong growth potential thanks to rising smartphone use, better mobile connectivity, and a young digitally engaged audience. However, he cautioned against one-size-fits-all approaches.
"Africa offers strong growth potential, but they reward those who focus on discipline. Operators need to understand each market on its terms. That's the only way to build products that genuinely fit local players."
— Ronnie Whelan, CEO of KingMakers
The speakers highlighted significant regional variations in player behaviour. Nigeria leans towards sports betting, while South Africa favours casino games. These differences require tailored product mixes, gamification features, and retention strategies.
Despite being largely composed of low-stakes players, African markets can deliver success through volume management and personalised approaches. This requires sophisticated player analytics, precise bonus management, and scalable marketing mechanics.
"This is exactly where SOFTSWISS focuses its efforts – helping operators combine volume, efficiency, and sustainable growth through technology and expertise."
— Olga Resiga, Chief Business Development Officer at SOFTSWISS
Market Research Tip
Before entering African markets, conduct thorough research on local player preferences. Nigeria's focus on sports betting versus South Africa's casino game preference demonstrates why one-size-fits-all approaches fail in this diverse continent.
Compliance featured prominently in the discussion, with Whelan noting the importance of cooperation with local authorities across evolving African regulatory frameworks. Operators must build adaptable systems that respond to regulatory changes while maintaining player protection standards.
The CEO also identified crypto and stablecoins as potentially valuable tools, provided operators implement them responsibly.
Compliance Considerations
African regulatory frameworks are continuously evolving, requiring operators to build adaptable compliance systems. Successful market entry depends on proactive cooperation with local authorities and maintaining flexible technology infrastructure that can respond to regulatory changes while preserving player protection standards.
These African market insights form part of wider industry trends explored in SOFTSWISS's 2026 iGaming Trends report, which covers global market dynamics including regulation, AI adoption, betting formats, cybersecurity, and responsible gambling.
African markets offer strong growth potential driven by rising smartphone adoption, improved mobile connectivity, and a young, digitally engaged population. However, success requires understanding each market's unique characteristics rather than applying generic strategies.
Regional variations are significant, with Nigeria showing a preference for sports betting while South Africa favors casino games. These differences necessitate tailored product mixes, customized gamification features, and market-specific retention strategies.
Crypto and stablecoins are identified as potentially valuable tools for African market expansion. However, operators must implement these payment methods responsibly and ensure compliance with local regulatory requirements.
According to SOFTSWISS.
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