SunBet's CEO Simon Gregory has emphasized that enhancing technology and product offerings will be crucial for the operator's ambitious goal of doubling its online market share in South Africa. This intention was initially announced by CEO Ulrik Bengtsson during Sun International's Capital Markets Day, where he revealed plans to increase SunBet's current 4.5% market share within the next five years.
Since that announcement, the company has launched operations in Namibia. Furthermore, in September, Sun International reported a significant 35.5% year-on-year revenue increase from its online brand for the first half of 2026.
Gregory acknowledges that the objective of doubling market share in South Africa, while “super ambitious,” is a challenge he is ready to tackle. "I don’t have any problem with setting out big targets and big ambitions," he stated. "If you can get some way towards that, you’ll have done nicely. It’s a journey, not just a target, right?"
The specifics of SunBet’s progress on these growth objectives remain somewhat vague, given that only Sun International and their competitor Betway are publicly listed online operators in South Africa. Despite this, Gregory believes SunBet has made “some progress” since the introduction of growth plans, even while competing against established leaders like Betway and Hollywoodbets.
"We’ve got a small online market share, around 3% to 5%, so there’s plenty to pursue," he explained. "We are likely the third or fourth player in the market currently. The two major incumbents, Betway and Hollywoodbets, hold significant market shares, so there’s room to capture some of that.
“And I think there is a long tail of smaller operators that may struggle to compete with the larger players due to market reach and product offerings."
At the Capital Markets Day, Bengtsson asserted that Sun International intends to adopt a more aggressive strategy for securing market share through investments in technology and product. Speaking on how SunBet will achieve its goal, Gregory echoed this sentiment, saying that having a top-notch product that is technically advanced and user-friendly will be essential for success.
"It requires us to be world-class technically. Such innovations take time, but we are committed to investing heavily in improving our technology and product," Gregory affirmed.
He further added, "Someone said there’s a difference between being good and being popular. We need to be both. First, we need to achieve quality, and then we need to gain popularity."
Regarding where to direct investments, Gregory indicated a strong focus on enhancing SunBet's technological infrastructure by bringing more processes in-house. He believes this will enable the company to operate more efficiently and control its development path.
"We need to be fully scalable, efficient, and have an outstanding user interface and experience, along with a great range of products and features. It’s important all around."
In terms of their focus on sports betting, following the release of Sun International’s H1 results, Bengtsson noted that the company's revenue split between casino gaming and sports betting stands at about 90% and 10%, respectively.
While Gregory acknowledges that SunBet is currently underrepresented in sports betting, efforts are underway to boost this aspect of their business. "We are certainly focused on reimagining our sportsbook to see if we can increase that share," he noted. SunBet is implementing upgrades aimed at enhancing the customer appeal of its sportsbook offerings.
"We’ve integrated a series of software enhancements, including StatScore products, and we have plans to improve the user interface and experience over the next six weeks," he mentioned. "By early December, we expect to reveal a refreshed look and enhanced features for our sports product to better serve our customers."
SunBet's expansion into Namibia marked its third market entry, following ventures in Botswana and South Africa. The operator also holds licenses for potential operations in Ghana, Zambia, and Kenya, though it has yet to begin activities in these regions.
Gregory indicated that SunBet is approaching further expansion with caution, concentrating on growth in Namibia. "We’re careful about new greenfield opportunities in Africa," he stated. "Many European companies have entered the market, spent substantial amounts, gained little traction, and subsequently exited."
Bengtsson previously mentioned that the company sees numerous inorganic growth opportunities both within and beyond South Africa, affirming that they uphold a “very high bar” for investments deemed beneficial for growth.
Gregory indicated that mergers and acquisitions could pave the way into new markets, contingent on favorable data such as internet penetration and mobile usage patterns.
"We’ve consistently expressed our interest in high-quality M&A opportunities that would give us critical mass in specific geographic areas," he said. "A top three player in select African regions with a strong customer base, brand equity, and potential technological advantages would be of particular interest."
When asked about balancing the objective of doubling online market share in South Africa while exploring expansion opportunities, Gregory made it clear that the two goals are compatible.
"We can excel in both areas. It’s simply a matter of allocating resources effectively," he concluded.
