Africa

Going for posts, Unstoppable inclusion with Rugby Africa

Published

5 years ago

May 3, 2021

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Fatma’s journey in rugby began with coincidence, much like many of the greats in the game, Rugby has been a quest of growing one’s confidence. Back in 2015, without any prior experience in playing rugby, Fatma had only attended rugby games as a spectator, most of which were only played by men. After a life changing suggestion for a new hobby from a friend, she made it out to the rugby field behind her office and there her story began, with the support of other female players. When she picked up the oval ball for the first time, she knew that she had found what she had been searching for.

Despite champions of Rugby in Botswana like Fatma campaigning for its broad-based promotion, Rugby and more importantly as a sport for women, has largely remained a sport which exhibits great potential for growth. Fatma exclaims that in Botswana, Rugby for women is hardly discussed. On the other hand, this has not left her, and other Unstoppables demotivated, in fact the value of their work is the single greatest force behind the grassroots development of the game. Her work has been applauded by World Rugby and Rugby Africa, amongst many other organisations and institutions seeking to promote women empowerment. Through the work of Fatma and others, future sports women will join or learn from the sport.

In her own career as a player, Fatma has seen a marked improvement in the participation of more teams in the women’s league. With the number of players increasing over the years, she anticipates that there will be more athletes from school rugby, advancing to league rugby. Further to this she believes that there will also be more women as coaches and referees in the near future- unstoppable.

As part of her outreach efforts, Fatma launched the “A Try for Change”, which is a grassroots initiative to empower girls through the sport. She and others seek to conscientize young women and girls to grow their self-confidence, as a means of unlocking their true potential in society. Rugby is used as a medium of instruction, but the goal of her work is to empower attendees to become agents of change in their respective communities- on or off the field of play. The programme is targeted at primary school leavers and includes modules on introspective exercises, recreational activities with learning objectives, mentorships, as well as preparatory programs in enterprise development.

Coming from a conservative background which does not prioritise the involvement of women in sports, Fatma has vigorously worked to change perceptions of elders and community leaders, to work with their support. She has opened way for reports and researched findings, to find their way into the hands of key decision makers. Overall, the programme has received a positive reception from participants, teachers and the Botswana Rugby Union, and plans are already afoot to run ‘A Try for Change’ again in the new year.

Based on the feedback she has received working with young girls, Fatma used the global “Try & Stop Us” campaign to address the issue of Gender Based Violence affecting women and children inher community. As an Unstoppable leader, she is breaking the silence of abuse in communities by raising awareness around civil liberties and justice. She deeply empathises with young girls who are not taught about building their confidence in school, as the priority is generally put on teaching the standard course curriculum. Sessions with Fatma and her team have become safe and supportive structures for personal development in the schools and communities they serve.

Fatma believes that instilling self-confidence in young women sets them up for life, not only for them to be leaders in the future, but more importantly now, for them to be able to tackle head on collisions with Gender Based Violence and many other scourges of society.

President of the Women’s Rugby Advisory Committee at Rugby Africa, Ms Paula Lancoemphasised that, “the WRAC and creation of its sub-committees will ultimately help increase awareness of women in rugby, attracting more tournaments and partnerships with sponsors, increasing the overall popularity of the game in the continent.”

According to Maha Zaoui, Women’s Manager Rugby Africa, “With the impact COVID-19 has placed globally, we are able to work with the sub-committees to overcome challenges the pandemic has placed on world sports and identifying untapped opportunities,”.

For Fatma, Rugby has been life changing not just for her career as a person, but more importantly it has empowered her as an individual to transform the lives of many. Her personal journey has become a reference point for others, who share in her passion and struggle for inclusion in different parts of their lives. Her outreach work has won many over and today has set the foundation for unstoppable future female leaders in Botswana and Africa at large, who have been transformed through the philosophy of the game.

Source: Rugby Africa.

Africa

Hollywoodbets partnership drives Tom Horn Gaming’s expansion in South Africa

Published

2 days ago

April 9, 2026

Wladimir P.

hollywoodbets-partnership-drives-tom-horn-gaming’s-expansion-in-south-africa

Tom Horn Gaming has enhanced its footprint in South Africa by rolling out its complete gaming content with prominent operator Hollywoodbets via direct integration.

The partnership allows Hollywoodbets’ users to enjoy Tom Horn Gaming’s complete array of titles, introducing the provider’s varied collection of entertaining slot experiences to one of the leading betting and gaming brands in the area.

The alliance further strengthens the companies’ current connection in additional markets, enhancing cooperation and broadening Tom Horn Gaming’s content presence in Africa’s swiftly evolving iGaming environment.

Ondrej Lapides, CEO at Tom Horn Gaming, commented: “We are delighted to expand our partnership with Hollywoodbets and bring our games to players in South Africa. Achieving full compliance for this market required considerable effort from our teams, so it is particularly rewarding to see our portfolio now live with such a respected and established operator. Hollywoodbets has built an outstanding reputation and strong player base, and we are confident our games will resonate well with their audience.”

Wade Dorkin, Head of Product at Hollywoodbets added: “We are thrilled to introduce Tom Horn Gaming’s titles to our South African audience. Their games are recognised for their creativity and engaging mechanics, and we believe they will be a fantastic addition to our offering. This partnership aligns perfectly with our commitment to continuously enhance our entertainment experience with high-quality content.”

Players at Hollywoodbets can now access an extensive array of the supplier’s games, including the timeless 243 Crystal Fruits series, Book of Aladdin, and Majestic Coins, celebrated for their unique themes, creative features, and top-notch gameplay aimed at appealing to a wide range of slot enthusiasts.

The launch bolsters Tom Horn Gaming’s continuing strategy to extend its global presence while providing cutting-edge gaming experiences customized for distinct markets.

The post Hollywoodbets partnership drives Tom Horn Gaming’s expansion in South Africa appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Africa

QTech Games wins Strategic Partner of the Year at the 2026 Africa Gaming Expo (AGE) Awards in Lagos

Published

4 days ago

April 7, 2026

Wladimir P.

qtech-games-wins-strategic-partner-of-the-year-at-the-2026-africa-gaming-expo-(age)-awards-in-lagos

QTech Games, the leading game aggregator for emerging markets, has been named Strategic Partner of the Year at the annual AGE Awards (Africa Gaming Expo), standing out among a competitive field of top aggregation providers.

The award recognises companies that have demonstrated tactical excellence and delivered innovative solutions tailored to the African iGaming sector over the past 12 months. QTech Games impressed judges with its continued strategic growth, collaborative approach, and ability to meet the evolving demands of the market.

The AGE Awards celebrate innovation and technological advancement across the African gaming landscape, with QTech Games earning recognition for the significant progress it has made throughout the 2025–26 judging period. The company’s focus on partnership-driven growth and market-specific solutions has been central to its success.

Philip Doftvik, CEO of QTech Games, commented:
“We’re thrilled to receive this award and be recognised as a strategic partner of choice in Africa. Being shortlisted was an honour, but winning is a true validation of our approach—from our breakthrough retail solution, QTech Hybrid, to our commitment to close collaboration with partners. We pride ourselves on thinking differently and consistently going the extra mile.”

He added:
“This recognition is also a testament to the dedication of our team and the innovative suppliers on our platform. As a leading distributor for emerging markets, we remain focused on delivering high-quality content and driving growth for our partners across Africa and beyond.”

The post QTech Games wins Strategic Partner of the Year at the 2026 Africa Gaming Expo (AGE) Awards in Lagos appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Africa

QTech Games launches more fast-paced content from Shacks Evolution Studios for Africa

Published

1 week ago

April 2, 2026

Wladimir P.

qtech-games-launches-more-fast-paced-content-from-shacks-evolution-studios-for-africa

QTech Games, the leading game aggregator for all emerging markets, has signed its latest supplier partnership with global B2B content developer and provider Shacks Evolution Studios, enabling its platform customers to access the supplier’s expansive catalogue. The portfolio is specifically tailored for Africa, featuring an array of instant-win, crash, and virtuals content.

Shacks Evolution Studios was founded in 2021, and is dedicated to delivering localized quality casino content for African and other previously untapped international markets. Styling itself as Africa’s first iGaming studio, the supplier’s content is carefully curated and developed, with a strategic outlook to surmount barriers to entry such as local languages, currencies, low end phones or latency issues.

Popular hits include crash games like Busly or Matatu, virtuals like Penaldo, wheel games such as Reel Wheel or Spin The Bottle, instant games like Coin Toss, and leading mines game Citadel, alongside more traditional table games. These titles are light and fast to load, providing a ready solution to overcoming local obstacles to engagement in emerging markets, such as handset quality limitations, restricted access to fast networks, and high data costs.

This breakthrough announcement with QTech now affords the supplier wider reach across Africa’s emerging markets, where QTech has already staked multiple jurisdictional flags, and beyond. In turn, incorporating this ever-evolving production line emphasizes QTech Games’ diverse range of gaming options, providing a definitive one-stop shop, which has fast become the “go-to” solution for operators across the ripening African marketplace.

As the fastest-growing aggregator over the past few years, QTech’s platform offers the most expansive gaming portfolio around, localised for each region, with native mobile apps, powerful reporting and marketing tools, and 24/7 local-language support.

QTech Games CEO, Philip Doftvik, said: “We’re committed to rolling out more and more high-class content for Africa, and this exciting new deal with Shacks Evolution Studios showcases an agile array of content which solves for fine-grained, local requirements in countries where light, rapid-load games are a must.

“Being local is always vital, and it’s a domain of igaming activity in which QTech excels. In high-growth regions like Africa, content diversity matters enormously because player demand evolves very quickly — and it’s also shaped by local realities such as mobile usage, data costs, device types, and payment preferences.

“From what we’ve observed in Africa to date, localised design drives player behaviour when it comes to: familiar mechanics reducing friction and increasing adoption; local themes and culturally relevant formats significantly lifting engagement; and faster game cycles increasing repeat play among younger cohorts. And Shacks Evolution Studios’ varied content embodies these requirements.”

Esther Osifo, Growth and Operations Manager at Shacks Evolution Studios, added: “Shacks is all about giving promising African developers the chance to shine. It’s about building a full ecosystem from virtuals and crash games to homegrown titles that defines Africa’s ascendant position on the igaming map.

“QTech’s platform is a gateway to fresh audiences, and nowhere does that apply more in Africa, where they are already a mature player. We can’t wait to see how our highly engaging games perform for a host of new local operators, including both established and challenger brands.”

The post QTech Games launches more fast-paced content from Shacks Evolution Studios for Africa appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.