Africa
Why your next million players are in MEA and Turkey, and how to access them
Onur Ergüney – Director of Global Partnerships for Gaming & e-Sports, TPAY MOBILE
COVID 19 has been the catalyst for the biggest transformation to people’s lives in recent history. Little else has brought on such seismic shifts in the way people work, play, communicate and live, since the creation of smartphones themselves.
The fourth industrial revolution has arrived faster than anyone could have predicted, especially in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) and Turkey. This combined region has a population of over 1.6 billion people, a fast-expanding middle class, and, through the power of mobile technology, is more connected than ever.
A long-standing barrier for scaled-up mobile games distribution in the region – the lack of access to banking infrastructure for subscriptions and the purchasing of games and in-app-purchases (IAPs) – is falling fast. By 2025, 834 million people across MEA will be mobile internet users, and through direct carrier billing (DCB) technology and eMoney wallets, they will have the freedom to spend on gaming like never before.
Untapped opportunity
A relatively untapped marketplace of a billion+ potential players is powering up and set to flip your revenue forecasts upside down if you play your cards right. In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) for instance, the games industry is currently valued at $4.5 billion according to Frost & Sullivan. That may be just 4% of the global total, but, it is the world’s fastest-growing region, with a year-on-year growth rate of 25%. On a grander scale, MENA makes up 80% of this growth whilst the other 20% is amassed in Sub Saharan Africa. According to one prediction from GSMA, the region will count for 709 million individual SIM connections by 2025.
In other words, Mobile is everything across the MEA and Turkey, and this should be explored as your next frontier of growth. However, you need to know how to access it.
Access is key, and access is different
Accessing these new markets isn’t simply a case of re-branding what has worked in the past. Your games may well be attractive in these new markets but the systems and processes that power them, and importantly, monetise them, won’t be the same. There are different rules and regulations for advertising, for example, and variations on what purchases or transactions do and don’t constitute gambling. Direct debits for app stores or card payments for IAPs are not common practice in these territories. Across the 20+ countries that make up MEA and Turkey, there is a rich tapestry of cultural differences that result in different ways of purchasing digital goods like games.
Establish partnerships to access these players
To turn your players into payers, the best advice I can give is to establish strategic partnerships – find experts on the ground that can work with you. You are no longer just a games publisher, with your partner network you become a FinTech, a games publisher, a games developer and even an evangelist for a new world of mobile gaming. Ecosystems are everything.
The global language is APIs, not Esperanto
Each territory has its quirks and opportunities, and only by having knowledgeable inside help will you be able to truly navigate the differences in approaching sales and distributions of your titles. Understanding the common services in territories is key for traction, an example being that the Middle East has widely adopted DCB (Direct Carrier Billing) for mobile payments and subscriptions in recent years, whereas mobile wallets are the transaction tool of choice in Subsaharan Africa.
Games developers want simple integrations that cover the back-end systems. If you find the team that can provide that, they will keep up with evolving regulations in new territories, keeping your games online. This allows you to do what you do best: making high quality, desirable games.
Games publishers expect great user flows. What makes games more interesting than other e-commerce platforms is that they are live systems. The user makes purchase decisions in real-time, while remaining within the game. This is also what creates complexity when it comes to transactions, but there is an answer. The key is to integrate a seamless payment flow within the game, minimising player disruption.
Find an ecosystem that works across borders. One thing that is global is the API. If you want to successfully break into these emerging markets, you need to build a partnership network that understands the intricacies of these technologies.
Should you wait?
Simply put, no.
Sub-Saharan Africa is the fastest-growing market of all for mobile-penetration, it would be an oversight to not properly explore the MEA and Turkey as a key element of future games monetisation for the future.
MEA and Turkey host a relatively untapped market for games publishing and eSports monetisation, not to mention a fast-growing pool of local influencers – now is the time to make inroads into the gaming sector in such markets. It has been said that the early bird catches the worm – this wisdom is just as true today.
The previously non-existent infrastructure required to sell and monetise mobile games has been replaced. Suddenly, the opportunity is there for the taking. Venture into these new territories, and the partnerships you form now will help grow your company and its market share exponentially, by creating opportunities to engage new gamers. Whilst boosting your business into the next 50 years, you have an opportunity to entertain many millions of people who are fast to become your next loyal, player base.
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MulaSport launches Kiron’s data-lite Soccer Game across 5 countries in Africa.
Kiron has rolled out Mula League on MulaSport, bringing a data-lite virtual football format to one of Africa’s leading sportsbook operators. Mula League delivers the excitement of league soccer in a lightweight design that fits seamlessly into digital platforms and uses very little data.
Mula League captures the feel of real league soccer in a fast, three-minute match format with full season play and familiar betting markets. Its data-lite design ensures quick, reliable access for players and its easy integration has made it perfect for MulaSport.
Steven Spartinos, Co-CEO of Kiron, said: “This launch with MulaSport underlines how virtual football can be both innovative and accessible. Mula League delivers the full league experience in a data-lite format that is scalable for operators and engaging for players.
Desiree Scott, Group Head of Corporate Affairs at MulaSport, said: “Bringing Kiron’s game onto our site strengthens our sportsbook with content that is quick to access and easy to enjoy. The format fits seamlessly into the way our players engage with football, while reflecting our commitment to quality, choice, and responsibility.”
Mula League is now live on the MulaSport platform.
The post MulaSport launches Kiron’s data-lite Soccer Game across 5 countries in Africa appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Next-gen operator launches sport betting with award-winning platform provider
Rise & Hustle, Africa’s next-gen tap-to-earn gaming operator, has launched sports betting within its street game platform through a new partnership with leading sportsbook platform provider Altenar.
As part of the deal, Altenar is delivering thousands of daily pre-match events and live in-play betting with fast markets and cash out, alongside extensive esports coverage and a full range of traditional sports to Rise & Hustle’s players in Nigeria.
Popular sports such as football and the English Premier League will form the foundation, complemented by comprehensive coverage of local competitions to satisfy regional betting interests. Players will benefit from being able to use local currency (Naira), ensuring a familiar end-to-end experience.
The agreement sees Rise & Hustle’s users benefit from personalised bet recommendations, and seamless wallet integration across casino, free-to-play and sportsbook. An optimised UI/UX with intuitive navigation across both mobile and desktop simplifies the betting process, while the free-to-play element awards players with free bets to drive engagement and retain loyalty.
Altenar’s customisable, mobile-first front end aligns seamlessly with Rise & Hustle’s brand, while its advanced risk management tools protect profitability and fraud prevention. Operators can now benefit from real-time, competitively priced odds and 24/7 access to Altenar’s trading team, highlighting its commitment to customer care.
The partnership follows a strong year for Altenar on the African continent, after it gained its South Africa licence back in December 2024 and appointed Brendon Jeacocks as Regional Director.
Tassos Theocharidis, Senior Sales Executive at Altenar, said: “We’re delighted to team up with Rise & Hustle to deliver a new sports betting experience to its players. We firmly believe in the operator’s potential in the fiercely competitive Nigerian market.
“We look forward to enhancing their existing offering with the addition of our award-winning sports betting technology.”
Josh Jones, CEO & Co-Founder of Rise & Hustle, commented: “Our collaboration with Altenar enables us to deliver a world-class betting experience tailored to Nigerian players’ interests.
“The onboarding process and speed-to-market were two key factors in choosing Altenar and rolling out a sportsbook solution will help us attract demographics as we evolve our business.”
The post Rise & Hustle partners with Altenar to power its new sportsbook offering appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
The fight against illegal lotto operations in Ghana continues unabated with a major push led by the Director-General and Management of the National Lottery Authority (NLA).
On August 26, the Authority organised a press conference at Brennan Hall to re-emphasise the ongoing registration exercise for Lotto Writers under registered Private Lotto Operators, a process initially launched on September 18, 2024, under the previous leadership.
As part of the initiative, unique identification stickers are being introduced for all Writers and Agents of Private Lotto Operators (PLOs). This measure is expected to reduce illegal activities in the industry and significantly boost the Authority’s revenue.
Addressing the press, the Director-General, Mr. Mohammed Abdul-Salam, noted the growing difficulty distinguishing legitimate writers from illegal ones. He explained that the introduction of the new sticker system would firmly establish the Authority’s regulatory role. Supported by the Operations and Compliance teams, this initiative will be enforced from September 1, 2025, to clamp down on unlicensed operators.
The Executive Secretary of the Concerned Lotto Agents and Writers Association (CLAAG), Mr. Kwaku Duah, welcomed the development, stressing that it was time for Registered Operators to benefit from the fees they had paid. He further cautioned that any Agent or Writer who fails to comply with the new regulations would not receive their support when caught by the law.
The sticker will display the Agent or Writer’s name, location, phone number and payment details, among other information. A QR code generated upon payment will allow the compliance team to easily verify duly licensed operators during their visits.
Mr. Andrew Tuah, Head of Operations, added that the registration fee of GHC 250 for Lotto Writers was to be renewed annually. In addition to the sticker’s robust security features, which cannot be duplicated, he announced a nationwide sensitisation exercise for the Lotto Writers to familiarise themselves with this app.
The press conference was also attended by the Deputy Director-General, Mr. Eric Yeboah Wadie, the Public Relations Officer of CLAAG, Mr. David Agbeviadeh, members of the Executive Management, Management and Staff of the Authority.
The post Ghana’s NLA Introduces New Sticker to Clamp Down on Illegal Lotto Operators appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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