Africa
Outlook on Africa’s Gaming Industry 2020-2025 – Mobile Gaming Will Hold a Major Market Share
The “Africa Gaming Market – Growth, Trends, and Forecasts (2020-2025)” report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering.
The gaming industry is expected to register a CAGR of 12% during the forecast period (2020-2025). The most recent trend is the growing availability and popularity of multi-functional gaming console, which is emerging in the market and helping in growing the market of video games in the region.
Africa is the only region in the world where the youth population is increasing. By 2050 Africa’s young people, i.e., those aged between 0 and 24 years old, will increase by nearly 50 percent. Africa will have the most significant number of young people. Africa’s youth are critical to the continent’s future when it comes to mobile and gaming as a whole.
African studios are making new inroads by launching original locally produced content on Netflix. Several local content productions have been nominated for several global awards, including the Oscars. The Annecy Festival in 2020 will be focusing on animation from Africa. In addition to this, government initiatives in the region are adopting gaming solutions for educational purposes. Developments such as these will provide opportunities for the gaming industry in the area.
During the lockdown, the Entertainment streaming and gaming industries are thriving. The global suspension or cancellation of most sporting events has left punters without live games to bet on, aside from re-runs of filmed matches. The knock-on effect is that sports betting, which accounts for most of the industry’s revenue, has crashed to almost nil.
While the traditional gambling industry is facing unparalleled losses, online gambling sites have reported a surge in activity since the national lockdown came into effect on 27 March 2020. While online casinos worldwide have reported a sharp increase in gambling, as lockdown periods are extended, and financial stresses intensify, people may become increasingly hesitant to spend money on non-essential pastimes, such as gambling.
Key Market Trends
Mobile Gaming Segment Expected to Have Major Market Share
- Mobile gaming generates close to half of the revenue that the gaming industry gets annually. More than 200 million Africans are below 35 years, and this figure might double in a decade. Africa has a huge market for gaming and smartphone companies.
- Mobile gaming is gaining popularity in remote parts of Africa. For example, more than 290 million people in North Africa use mobile phones. The mobile market in the region generates $90 billion annually.
- One of the major drivers for the growth of mobile gaming is the potential to spawn a massive real-money gaming industry around the continent. Mobile tech spreads around the continent, large swaths of Africa are also paving the way for legal betting and gaming.
- However, acceleration in network rollouts by mobile operators in Sub-Saharan Africa has been a vital driver of the reduction in the coverage gap. Infrastructure deployment in Sub-Saharan Africa increased 3G coverage from 63% in 2017 to 70% in 2018, extending access to more than 80 million people. 3.3 billion people live in areas covered by mobile broadband networks but do not use mobile internet – this usage gap’ is more than four times greater than the coverage gap. Such factors might harm gaming companies operating in the region.
Issues Such as Piracy, Laws & Regulations, and Concerns Relating to Fraud During Gaming Transactions will Impact the Growth of the Market
- Most African countries have gaming commissions and laws that regulate gambling. South Africa has clear gaming laws and regulations. It was the first country to create gambling regulation in the continent. Also, online casinos are popular in the country.
- In South Africa, several legislative attempts to further restrict online gambling and payment transactions of unlicensed operators have been postponed in recent years. However, some legislators and regulators at the provincial level have called for a less restrictive regime.
- There is currently an ongoing political and religious debate on the perceived high number of minors accessing gambling. As a result, in May 2019, the minister of finance urged the National Gaming Board (NGB) to stop issuing gaming and betting licenses immediately. The government restricted gambling advertising as of January 2019. Additional measures to ensure responsible gambling and revenue collection to the state budget are on the list.
- A new advocacy organization designed to collaborate, coordinate, partner, build and sustain the growth of esports on the continent has been formed. ESFA or The Esports Federation of Africa is established by a community of both private esports entities, and national federations. WESCO affiliates it. With the launch of the ESFA, African gamers now have a voice, an advocate, an organization with grassroots developments of players at its core. These will provide better opportunities and therefore strengthen the local market in the region.
Competitive Landscape
The gaming market is fragmented as the demand for online games, and increasing penetration of mobile applications across the region will help attract new players in this market over the next few years. Recent developments in the market are:
- In May 2020, Sony announced new PlayStation Studios branding for its first-party PS5 games. Sony will be using the new PlayStation Studios brand for its first-party exclusives going forward as a way to let customers know that a game comes from one of Sony’s in-house development teams.
- In August 2019, Konami Digital Entertainment BV announced that the mobile version of e-Football PES 2020 would be released in October, and it represents a complete overhaul of the current PES 2019 mobile game. The latest major update to the PES Mobile series, which celebrated over 200 million downloads earlier this year, brings many of the critical features and licenses already announced for e-Football PES 2020 on PC and console.
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Africa
Altenar obtains National Manufacturer licence in South Africa
Leading sportsbook provider prepares to debut in African market after rigorous certification process
Altenar, a leading sportsbook and iGaming software provider, has successfully obtained a licence from the Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board (WCGRB), marking a significant milestone in its expansion into the burgeoning South African market.
Altenar is now a registered and licenced National Manufacturer in the thriving jurisdiction, following a rigorous process. During the initial stages, several stakeholders were required to complete detailed KYC and compliance checks, as well as fill in significant paperwork to demonstrate the provider’s suitability.
This latest market debut demonstrates Altenar’s position as a sought-after partner with a flexible and localised solution. The opportunity opens up the doors to further expansion on the African continent and demonstrates its appeal to operators across multiple continents.
Sam Hill, Sales Director at Altenar, said: “Altenar is delighted to receive our licence to supply our sportsbook solution into South Africa. It is another significant step for us globally and is a key target market for us to further establish our product. We’re confident we have all the necessary product features and quality to offer the best solution on the market. This is across core sports such as football and racing, as well as offering customers the ease to prioritise key local content and sports via our highly flexible UI/UX.
“There are also a variety of ways that we support seamless cross-sell between products, which in a market such as South Africa, with the popularity of all verticals, will stand us and our customers in good stead. We are looking forward to the future in South Africa and the wider African market.”
The post Altenar obtains National Manufacturer licence in South Africa appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Africa
SYNOT Games Expands to the Nigerian Market Through a Strategic Partnership with betBonanza
SYNOT Games, a leading global casino game developer, has announced its expansion into the Nigerian iGaming market through a new partnership with betBonanza.
As a result of this collaboration, betBonanza players will have access to SYNOT Games‘ acclaimed portfolio of over 150 unique and engaging titles. The initial launch will feature ten highly popular games, including Aztec Jaguar Megaways, All Ways Queen, Forest Maiden, and Rio Mystery Night. The operator will continue to expand its offering, adding five new games each week until the full portfolio becomes available.
By joining forces, SYNOT Games and betBonanza aim to meet the growing demand for premium gaming content in Nigeria’s thriving market, setting a new standard for entertainment and innovation.
Unity Nwanze, Business Operations Manager at betBonanza, said: “We are excited to expand our Casino game portfolio with the addition of SYNOT Games! It’s a great opportunity to present our players with fun games and thrilling ways to win. We look forward to a rewarding partnership.”
Kristína Ďaďová, Sales Manager at SYNOT Games, added: “Our goal is to provide the highest level of entertainment and by partnering with betBonanza, we will be able to offer top-quality games to a whole new audience. I believe this cooperation will strengthen our position in a market as demanding as Nigeria.”
The post SYNOT Games Expands to the Nigerian Market Through a Strategic Partnership with betBonanza appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Africa
888bets Goes Live in Malawi
888bets has launched in Malawi, expanding the online operator’s presence across Africa.
The brand, which is a joint venture between 888 owner evoke and 888Africa, unveiled a television advert to support its entry into its latest market.
888Africa co-founder and CEO Christopher Coyne said: “Delighted to announce that 888Africa has now launched into our seventh African market with Malawi. We are live from today [Friday, November 29].
“I’m so proud of the work of the outstanding 888Africa teams, too many to mention in the run to get us live, but I will note Alex Rutherford [888Africa chief growth officer] for his work on licensing, and I’ll mention also Andrew Lee [chief revenue officer], Steven McIntosh [VP product] and Zeljka Perkovic for their massive contributions on the project side.”
The post 888bets Goes Live in Malawi appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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