Africa
Rugby Africa’s North African Regional Development Officer, Mostafa Jelti, Speaks About International Day of Sport for Development and Peace
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.
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Africa
Soft2Bet takes its first steps into Africa with a multi-year Turnkey deal with media leader Channels TV
Soft2Bet has signed a multi-year turnkey agreement with leading Nigerian media company Channels Media Group to provide its powerful platform solution and Managed Services in the largest regulated market in Africa.
As part of the deal Soft2Bet will power Waddibet, Channels Media Group’s online sports betting and casino offering, driving value for the group by managing its entire customer acquisition and retention strategy through its market-leading ‘Managed Services’ offering.
The partnership will make full use of Channels local knowledge and Soft2Bet’s online sports betting and casino expertise as the broadcaster leverages its reach to deploy Soft2Bet’s Motivational Engineering Gamification Application (MEGA), the gamification solution that enables operators to deliver market-leading ROI by providing quality content and driving player engagement in regulated jurisdictions.
Regulatory expansion
Soft2Bet’s regulatory footprint grew significantly in 2023 as the group entered major markets like Sweden, Denmark, Romania and Italy and in 2024 this has continued and it is set to forge ahead on this path with worldwide expansion into Africa’s largest economy and most populous country with Channels TV.
As the company executes on its strategic roadmap throughout 2025 it will continue integrating new partners to its B2B platform and adding to its content library to deliver the richest and most complete turnkey solution for its partners.
Martin Collins, Chief Business Development Officer of Soft2Bet, said: “As a group, Soft2Bet is truly delighted to announce its first African partnership with a high-calibre media partner like Channels TV. Nigeria is the continent’s largest economy and a vibrant market and the combination of Channels TV’s strong brand equity and our highly localised and powerful solutions will deliver strong growth in this major market.”
Tobi Momoh, Group Strategist & Consultant of Channels Media Group, added: “Our joining forces with Soft2Bet will see us blend our local expertise with their cutting-edge online sports betting and casino operations. We’re also highly excited at the thought of integrating Soft2Bet’s MEGA gamification and are confident in our ability to deliver premium content and elevate player engagement across this market. Together, we’re committed to setting new industry standards and establishing a leading iGaming brand that will provide unmatched entertainment to our players.”
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Africa
BetBlocker expands to support African markets with the launch of Bemba, Nyanja and Tonga language support
BetBlocker, the UK registered gambling charity that provides free, anonymous to use blocking software, had today announced the expansion of service to support users in the Bemba, Nyanja and Tonga languages.
With a rapidly expanding userbase, this is the first language support provided by BetBlocker to specifically target users in Africa. Using funding provided by Entain to support Zambian users, these three languages were selected and the most prominent indigenous languages, with almost 75% of the Zambian population speaking one of these dialects.
Working in partnership with Fresh Start Zambia, a charitable organisation working to minimise gambling harm, who supported the translation work, the three languages go live today.
Founder and Trustee for BetBlocker, Duncan Garvie, had this to say about the launch of the Bemba, Nyanja and Tonga versions of the app:
“For BetBlocker it’s critical to be able to reach users in a language that they can comfortably engage in to ensure a smooth and speedy set-up process. Native languages also help us step past cultural barriers, showing that BetBlocker isn’t simply available to these communities, it’s actively working to support them.
This is especially important in under-served and under-supported markets, like many of the African countries. The sad truth is that there simply aren’t the support services available for many African nationals that exist in more established jurisdictions. To my mind that makes it doubly important to ensure that BetBlocker is available and easily accessing.”
The post BetBlocker expands to support African markets with the launch of Bemba, Nyanja and Tonga language support appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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.
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