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

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

Published

2 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

7 days 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.

Africa

Virgin Bet goes live in South Africa

Published

1 week ago

March 30, 2026

Wladimir P.

Virgin Bet is excited to reveal the start of its operations in South Africa, signifying the brand’s inaugural expansion beyond the UK.

Launching in 2019, Virgin Bet has developed into a top betting brand in the UK. Its expansion into the South African market signifies a significant milestone in the brand’s development, marking its debut in an international market.

Virgin Bet operates under LiveScore Group, a worldwide frontrunner in sports media and betting, which includes renowned brands such as LiveScore, LiveScore Bet, and Virgin Bet. The introduction in South Africa enhances the company’s presence in Africa, expanding on LiveScore Bet’s current operations in Nigeria.

Responsible gambling is fundamental to the virginbet.co.za platform, prioritizing player wellbeing as a key element. The brand provides an extensive array of responsible gambling resources, such as deposit caps, time-outs, and self-exclusion choices for every customer, along with strict age verification measures. Dedicated local customer support teams back these measures, and additional initiatives are set for South Africa to promote safer gambling, aligning with Virgin Bet’s overall corporate social responsibility (CSR) commitments.

Ahead of its launch, Virgin Bet has been consistently forming a robust local leadership team to assist its long-term goals in South Africa, featuring Gail Odgers, recognized as one of iGaming South Africa’s most “influential women in gaming,” as the Head of Marketing.

Virgin Bet is driven by its brand mission, “A Good Bet,” signifying that every wager should be thrilling and beneficial regardless of the result, as players maintain control and gamble responsibly.

Virgin Bet is dedicated to providing its customers with outstanding rewards. Spanning from wagering promotions to unique deals within the broader Virgin ecosystem, the brand seeks to provide exceptional experiences while keeping betting enjoyable and secure.

Gail Odgers, Head of Marketing, Virgin Bet South Africa, said: “Launching in South Africa is a proud moment for us. At Virgin Bet, we believe that ‘A Good Bet’ means delivering standout experiences for our customers, while also taking our responsibility to players and communities seriously.

South Africans care deeply about sport. Whether it’s football, rugby or cricket, sport is part of everyday conversation. That passion is what makes this market so exciting for us.

Our role is to enhance that experience responsibly, offering standout moments and exceptional rewards, while setting a high standard for responsible gambling from day one. We’re focused on building trust and introducing Virgin Bet in a way that South Africans can feel confident in.”

The post Virgin Bet goes live in South Africa appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.