Africa
Results: 2023 Northern Cape Online Championships
Even with load shedding causing frustration among both athletes and officials alike, Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) was able to still host a verys successful championship were all participants were able to compete and, most of all, have fun.
With the “competent” South African government stating that South Africa will have load shedding for the next two years, MSSA is already reviewing its policies in regard to load shedding and its online championships.
Load shedding has a huge impact on esports, and may end up causing online console and pc gaming to become elitist as only those who are substantially financially advantaged will be able to compete. It may also result in mobile esports becoming more popular.. A continuous and consistent electricity supply is vital to South Africa developing as a major esports nation.
Nevertheless, MSSA is more than happy with the results from the 2023 Northern Cape Championships.
There were no less than seven (7) provinces represented, and more importantly, there were more females participating since 2020. Of the 22 athletes who earned Provincial Colours, 7 of such athletes are females.
Special mention must be made of Karli Roodt (Middelburg Hoërskool) who is the first female champion in the esports title of Rocket League to earn Mpumalanga Provincial colours. Karli also qualifies for National Team Trials, and may very well end up in the National Squad and/or Protea Team.
The female esports team, VYBN Females, also had a good showing in the CSGO esports title. The team has now earned Provincial colours as well as qualifying for National Team Trials, and may very well end up in the National Squad and/or Protea Team. Of course, CSGO is just one of the six titles which MSSA has entered to contest at IESF’s 15th World Championships.
IESF’s 15th World Championships will be played to the following titles:
- Counter-Strike: GO (CSGO)
- Counter-Strike: GO (CSGO) – Female division
- DotA 2
- eFootball
- Mobile Legends, Bang Bang
- PUBGM
- Tekken 7
The winners of the 2023 Northern Cape Online Championships are:
| Title | Name of player/team | Club | Colours awarded |
| Clash of Clans | Martin Venter | Hoër Volkskool Potchefstroom | North West |
| Clash Royale – Premier | John Kim | Middies | Mpumulanga |
| Clash Royale – Premier – Female | Leone Loftus | Masters of Mind Sports | Free State |
| Clash Royale | Tshwarelo Tshwane | Knights Mind Sports Club | |
|
CS:GO – Premier
|
ZAG CS |
ZAG Academy
|
|
| Josh Chapman | Western Cape | ||
| Sebastian Montoya-Pelaez | Western Cape | ||
| Michael de Villiers | Western Cape | ||
| Josh Orelowitz | Western Cape | ||
| Thomas Venables | Gauteng | ||
|
CS:GO – Premier – Female
|
VYBN Females |
ZAG Academy
|
|
| Paula van Vuuren | Western Cape | ||
| Chloe Wilson | Gauteng | ||
| Rialet van Jaarsveld | Gauteng | ||
| Nicky Muller | Gauteng | ||
| Alexandria Kruger | Mpumulanga | ||
| FIFA 23 – Premier | Antonie Botes | Hoër Volkskool Potchefstroom | North West |
|
PUBGM – Premier
|
Team eFx |
Team eFx
|
|
| Sulaimaan Musthan | KwaZulu Natal | ||
| Jared Rubly | Gauteng | ||
| Jarrod Pretorius | Gauteng | ||
| Richard Henry | Eastern Cape | ||
| Rocket League – Premier | Nick Matzopoulos | ZAG Academy | Western Cape |
| Rocket League – Premier – Female | Karli Roodt | Middies | Mumulanga |
| Rocket League – High Schools | Maree van der Merwe | Hoër Volkskool Potchefstroom | |
| Tekken 7 | Jonathan Brown | Team Playbell | Western Cape |
| Sportsmanship Award | Desiree Botha | Middies | |
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Africa
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
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.
40 Sparkling Crown
TaDa Gaming Enters South Africa via Strategic Betway Partnership
TaDa Gaming marks its entry into the South African iGaming market through a landmark partnership with Betway, bringing premium casino content to local players.
With slots tailored for the SA market, Betway players will have immediate access to releases including Crazy 777, Coin Tree, 40 Sparkling Crown, Devil Fire 2 and Rapid Gems 777 as well as the Fortune Gems series. Distribution is through Light & Wonder Inc.
TaDa is renowned for attracting new and younger demographics with its immersive content. As winner of the SiGMA Africa Slot Newcomer of the Year, 2025, all games are expertly localised and mobile first for lightweight deployment and swift loading times, a critical factor for success.
Taking a glocalised approach has enabled TaDa to build a transnational brand across the continent for delivering scalable, regulated business success in emerging and high growth countries.
This experience gained from operating in over 15 countries including Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Uganda and Tanzania makes TaDa a valuable partner in South Africa, a key destination for the ambitious content provider.
Ray Lee, Director of Business Development at TaDa Gaming, said: “Building our brand for immersive and tailored gaming in South Africa has been enhanced through securing collaborations with key operators like Betway. We are delighted to be working together to deliver new and exciting experiences for players across the SA market.”
The post TaDa Gaming Enters South Africa via Strategic Betway Partnership appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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