SunBet’s CEO Simon Gregory has emphasized that enhancing technology and product offerings is crucial for the operator to reach its ambitious goal of doubling its online market share in South Africa. This target, set during Sun International's Capital Markets Day by CEO Ulrik Bengtsson, aims to increase SunBet’s current share of the South African online market from 4.5% to 9% within five years.
Since the announcement, SunBet has expanded its operations to Namibia, and in September, Sun International reported a significant 35.5% year-on-year revenue increase from its online division during the first half of 2026.
Gregory acknowledges the challenge of achieving this growth, calling the goal "super ambitious," but he is ready to pursue it. "I don’t have any problem with setting out big targets and big ambitions," he explained. "And if you can get some way towards that you’ll have done nicely. It’s a journey, not a target, right?"
The specific advancements SunBet has made towards this goal remain somewhat unclear, as Gregory noted that, alongside Sun International, only Betway—part of Super Group—is a publicly listed online operator in South Africa. However, he believes that some “progress” has been made since the growth strategy was presented, despite intense competition from established leaders like Betway and Hollywoodbets.
"We've got small [online] market share, somewhere in the region of 3% to 5%, so there's plenty to go after," Gregory stated. "We are probably third or fourth in the market right now. The two incumbents have got massive market share, Betway and Hollywoodbets, so there is opportunity to take market share from them."
Gregory also pointed out that smaller operators may struggle to compete with larger companies in terms of market reach and product offerings in the long run.
At the Capital Markets Day, Bengtsson mentioned a commitment to be "more aggressive" in gaining market share through technological and product investments. In line with this, Gregory reiterated, "Product is going to be key and having an outstanding product, which is technically efficient and easy to use and fully available and scalable, is going to be paramount to winning in any of these markets."
He stressed the need for SunBet to achieve world-class technical capabilities, acknowledging that technical innovations take time and that significant investment is required to enhance the technology and product quality.
"Someone said to me, there's a difference between being good and being popular, right? But we need to be both. So first, we need to get good, and then we need to get popular," Gregory remarked.
Gregory explained that the investment focus will be primarily on upgrading SunBet’s technology stack and bringing more operations in-house. This approach is expected to increase efficiency and speed of development.
"We need to be fully scalable, efficient, have an outstanding UI, UX, have a great range of products, have features and functionality. It's everywhere"
Currently, SunBet’s portfolio shows a 90% to 10% split between casino and sports betting, with a noted under-representation in the sports betting sector. Gregory confirmed that efforts are actively underway to boost SunBet’s presence in sports betting, which has lagged due to the company’s casino heritage.
As part of these efforts, SunBet is implementing multiple upgrades to enhance its sportsbook experience. Gregory revealed, "We've put in a whole lot of software, some StatScore products, we’ve got a programme to make the UI and UX better over the next six weeks. By early December, we should have a new look and feel to our sports product, and we're looking at features and functionality around how to make that more compelling and better for customers."
SunBet’s recent expansion into Namibia marks its third market, following launches in Botswana and South Africa. Additionally, the operator holds licenses in Ghana, Zambia, and Kenya but has yet to start operations in those countries.
Gregory mentioned that SunBet is adopting a cautious approach to further expansion, focusing on growth in Namibia for now. He referenced the experience of other European operators that have invested heavily in Africa without finding success, stating, "We’re cautious about other greenfield African expansions."
Bengtsson had earlier pointed out the existence of various opportunities for growth, both organically and through acquisitions, though he indicated that the company maintains a high bar for what investments would support its growth objectives.
Gregory stated that mergers and acquisitions could facilitate entry into new markets if they meet certain criteria, such as internet penetration and mobile money usage. "We’ve been pretty clear in our public statements that we would be interested in high-quality M&A, where it would provide us with critical mass in certain geographies," he added.
He clarified that doubling its online market share in South Africa and exploring new expansion avenues are not mutually exclusive. "We can do well in both. It’s just a matter of resourcing," Gregory concluded.
