At the recent Africa Summit during iGB L!VE 2026, several expert panels addressed various challenges and opportunities within Africa's gaming market, including taxation, localisation, and measures against illegal gambling activities.
The first panel, moderated by iGamingBusiness’ Global Content Director Robin Harrison, featured notable figures such as Lungile Dukwana, CEO of the South African National Gambling Board; Bashir Are, CEO of Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority; and Olabimpe Akingba, head of responsible gaming at pawaTech. The discussion delved into the need for regional regulatory cooperation, balanced taxation, and the importance of localisation in Africa's diverse gaming landscape. Akingba emphasized the necessity for operators to remain adaptable, asserting that "there's really no one size fit all" across the continent. Dukwana suggested starting with shared standards on simpler issues, like consumer protection, to facilitate harmonisation.
Warnings against overly aggressive tax regimes were prevalent, with Are stating, "When you have a regime in which the taxes are very high, the market will not survive." Guga Gotsadze, CEO of SmartSoft, argued that viewing Africa as a single market is a significant misstep, advocating for tailored market strategies instead. He commented, "Understanding those differences is what creates sustainable growth."
In the second panel, Ed Birkin, Managing Director of H2 Gambling Capital, alongside Akingba and Dukwana, explored the relationship between tax policy and sustainable market growth. Dukwana highlighted proactive local enforcement in South Africa, pointing out that "there is no illegal operator or offshore operator that should be comfortable in the South African space." Thomson from pawaTech indicated his company's exit from three African jurisdictions due to prohibitive tax rates, elaborating, “This is an industry that could grow for the next 20 years… But if it’s squeeze, squeeze, squeeze, we are not NGOs, we are commercial entities."
The third panel focused on adapting global gaming products for local markets, with Lois Bright from Gaming Advisory Partners at the helm. Participants included Christian Rajter of Split the Pot, Gail Odgers from Virgin Bet South Africa, and Simon Munsamy from Playtech. Odgers stressed that effective localisation requires constant adaptation and inclusion, stating that it's about "continually updating your creative, your language." Rajter emphasized the importance of direct engagement with local audiences, urging companies to listen to market insights. Gotsadze reiterated that while localisation is essential, it should not compromise product quality.
The penultimate panel, chaired by Charles Ekundayo of Africa Gaming Expo, examined the role of mobile money in transforming payment systems within African gambling. Key speakers included Anthony Prissman from Super Group, Denis Mudene Ngabirano from the Ugandan National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board, and Conor O’Donovan from Tekkorp Capital. Prissman highlighted how mobile money has changed transaction dynamics, remarking that trust is vital for customer engagement. O’Donovan pointed out the inefficiencies in certain markets despite mobile money's advantages, while Ngabirano discussed how Uganda's high gambling age of 25 is pushing youth towards the black market.
Finally, the last panel, led by iGamingBusiness’ Kyle Goldsmith, discussed the future of sports betting in Africa, featuring Martin Sack from Gaming Advisory Partners and William Scott from Ithuba Holdings. Both affirmed that football remains the primary growth driver for sports betting in Africa. Sack noted that improvements in infrastructure and payment systems are contributing to this growth, but cautioned against over-reliance on sponsorship as a solution for deeper issues in the industry.
The summit highlighted the need for the gaming sector in Africa to collaborate, innovate, and adapt to the unique challenges and opportunities each market presents while keeping regulatory and tax environments under constructive dialogue.
