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.”

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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.”

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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.”

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