Africa

Rugby Africa’s North African Regional Development Officer, Mostafa Jelti, Speaks About International Day of Sport for Development and Peace

Published

5 years ago

April 6, 2021

George Miller

Reading Time: 3 minutes

At the request of the Moroccan NOC, this day was created in 2013 by the United Nations General Assembly

Globally, sport has reached a stage of development that no other human activity can boast of. Its impact on societies and unifying power gives it the responsibility of putting itself at the service of peace

To start off, what does international day of sports for development and peace mean to you?

At the request of the Moroccan NOC, this day was created in 2013 by the United Nations General Assembly. It reflects the importance of sports, which is present in every household with its economic, political, social and above all educational functions.

What is Rugby Ready training? Please feel free to use any images and statistics as well.

The Rugby Ready program is a support and educational training tool, with its objective being to promote enjoyable and fun playing rugby while minimizing the risk of injury.

Player health is the priority at all levels of the game.

Rugby Ready is also a perfect complement to the programs set up by some World Rugby member unions, with Rugby Africa having very satisfactory numbers of participants – second World Rugby region.

You deliver conferences on the theme of Sports and Peace. Please elaborate on the connection between sport and peace? Can you share examples where sport or more particularly rugby has been used to foster peace?

Globally, sport has reached a stage of development that no other human activity can boast of. Its impact on societies gives it an incomparable mobilization potential. This unifying power gives it the responsibility of putting itself at the service of peace.

For concrete examples, I will cite the following cases:

Fist Ping-pong diplomacy initiated in 1971 between China and the USA
The attribution of the 1988 Olympic Games to China (global symbolism)
The joint organization of the football world cup in Japan and South Korea (despite the historical disputes and the poisoned relations)
The (unsuccessful) joint candidacy of Turkey and Greece for the organization of the European Football Championship (UEFA 2008)

In rugby:

The organization of the 3rd Rugby World Cup in South Africa which has contributed to bringing together the entire population of the country.
The participation of the Libyan National Rugby Team in the Arab 7’S Championship (February 2021) where the team was made up of the 2 “war” regions East and West.

You put a lot of emphasis on the values of rugby. May you please list them and explain why they matter and how they define rugby?

The values of rugby are solidarity, integrity, respect, passion and discipline. These are ethical and moral benchmarks to which athletes and public opinion must refer; they guide people in their daily lives with a taste for effort and perseverance. It is also a philosophy that transcends all borders in sport, at school, at home and at work. If I had to classify these values, I would put RESPECT first.

The conferences are targeting teachers, unions administrators, students. Does your approach and message differ depending on the targeted groups?

As a former teacher – the content of the message remains the same, the form differs a little. The ‘speaker’ approach is used with students, players, and administrators. Whilst the ‘moderator’ approach is used with teachers and coaches.

What do you expect your audience to take out of these conferences? If there is one key learning point to remember, what would it be?

I am trying to convey the following message to my audience:

Every day, around the world, millions of sports competitions (“conflicts”) are organized and supervised at school, university, sports federations, regional confederations, international federations, Olympic committees, etc.

These “conflicts” are instituted by the rule and its respect; they serve, in filigree, to:

Bringing competitors closer together rather than dividing them
Promote team spirit
Solidarity in difficulty
Establish equal opportunities
Push towards excellence
Celebrate merit
Convert the rugby player into a good citizen of his country or even of the world.

Please share any other initiatives you have in the pipeline to commemorate such occasions.

I consider schools and universities to be a breeding ground for the development of rugby and I keep close contact with the universities.

Also, I am trying to set up a continental cooperation with the African University Sports Federation (FASU) which will be relayed at the national level by the various federations affiliated to Rugby Africa. In this sense, I host several conferences, each year, on the occasion of the International Day of Sport.

Africa

Gaming Tech Summit Africa convenes regulators and operators in Nairobi

Published

23 hours ago

June 5, 2026

Wladimir P.

gaming-tech-summit-africa-convenes-regulators-and-operators-in-nairobi

Gaming Tech Summit Africa (GTSA) brought regulators, policymakers and gaming industry stakeholders to Nairobi on 4 June for its third edition, hosted at the Argyle Grand Hotel.

Organisers positioned the event around the theme “Building Africa’s Sustainable & Scalable Gaming Tech Industry,” with agenda focus areas including taxation, consumer protection, enforcement against illegal operators, and the role of digital payments in fast-growing online betting and gaming markets.

The press release cited market projections that Africa’s online betting and gaming sector could grow from an estimated US$12.7 billion in 2026 to US$19.4 billion by 2030, framing the sector as increasingly relevant to public revenue, investor confidence and regulatory consistency across jurisdictions.

Kenya’s hosting role was highlighted as a key context point, with organisers pointing to its status as a major gaming and digital payments market. The summit also said it was officially endorsed by the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Kenya.

“Africa’s gaming industry has reached a stage where growth must be matched by responsibility, structure and long-term thinking,” said David Moshi,Managing Director at Velex Advisory. “The value of this summit lies in bringing the right people into one room to have honest conversations about where the industry is headed and what must be done to build a stronger foundation. Our ambition goes beyond hosting a successful summit; it is to support a more connected, transparent and sustainable gaming ecosystem across Africa.”

Companies named as participants included Afitech, 1xBet, BetConstruct, SharpVision, Aviator, BMM Testlabs and Evidentia AI, among others.

The post Gaming Tech Summit Africa convenes regulators and operators in Nairobi appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Africa

Gaming Realms expands into three African markets via SportyBet partnership

Published

4 days ago

June 2, 2026

Wladimir P.

gaming-realms-expands-into-three-african-markets-via-sportybet-partnership

Gaming Realms, the originator of the distinctive Slingo format, has expanded its presence in Africa by partnering with SportyBet in Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana, only weeks following its market launch in South Africa.

Players in the area of the top operator can now explore a wide range of Slingo games, featuring popular titles like Slingo Sweet Bonanza, Slingo Day of the Dab, and Slingo Xxxtreme. The legendary product has demonstrated widespread attraction worldwide, delivering a distinct experience that fuses the thrill of slots with tactical elements.

The operator belongs to Sporty Group, a global media and entertainment firm that possesses licenses to provide betting and online casino offerings in various regulated African areas.

Entering the three newly regulated markets marks a significant accomplishment for Gaming Realms, with Africa being a crucial growth region for the provider that has quickly expanded its footprint in Europe and North America in the past year. The newest expansion comes after a recent market launch in South Africa, with the company planning to grow further in the African region soon.

Laura Norton, Account Manager at Gaming Realms, said: “Entering three new African markets at once together with SportyBet is a fantastic achievement for the Gaming Realms team.

“We are encouraged by the initial performance and are confident our unique content is appealing to SportyBet’s local customers and look forward to a successful partnership.”

Joey Hurtado, Director of Casino at SportyBet, said: “Being the first operator to introduce Gaming Realms’ content in three of our core African markets is a real coup.

“Their product offering provides something truly different and this collaboration helps us deliver on our promise to offer our customers a best-in-class entertainment experience.”

The post Gaming Realms expands into three African markets via SportyBet partnership appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Africa

Greentube partners with World Sports Betting to expand in South Africa

Published

4 days ago

June 2, 2026

Wladimir P.

greentube-partners-with-world-sports-betting-to-expand-in-south-africa

Deal follows Greentube’s spring 2025 market entry and brings Book of Ra and other slots to the operator’s casino lobby.

Greentube has signed a content partnership with South African operator World Sports Betting, extending its distribution in the country following its market entry in spring 2025.

Under the agreement, World Sports Betting will roll out a selection of Greentube titles, mixing new releases with established land-based games. Initial launches include Queen Cleopatra and 25 Red Hot 7 Clover Link.

The wider lineup named in the announcement includes Book of Ra, Lucky Lady’s Charm and Sizzling Hot. Greentube said the content package has been tailored for South Africa.

Razvan Glodea, Sales and Key Account Manager at Greentube, said: “We’ve been working hard to bring our games live with such an important brand in the South African market, and we’re excited to make our portfolio accessible to even more players.

“With our iconic titles that players already know and love, we’re confident in gaining strong engagement alongside World Sports Betting. We’re also looking forward to delivering great results, supported by a range of exciting promotional activities planned for players very soon.”

Ryno Du Plessis at World Sports Betting, added: “Greentube’s portfolio features some of the most recognisable titles in the industry, and we’re delighted to bring these games to our players.

“This partnership allows us to further strengthen our casino offering with content that has a proven track record, while also introducing exciting new games tailored to our audience.”

The post Greentube partners with World Sports Betting to expand in South Africa appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.