Expanding African iGaming: Insights from SOFTSWISS and KingMakers at ICE Barcelona
At ICE Barcelona 2026, SOFTSWISS played a key role in a fireside chat focused on expanding businesses within the African iGaming landscape. Olga Resiga, the Chief Business Development Officer at SOFTSWISS, and Ronnie Whelan, CEO of KingMakers, examined how operators can achieve sustainable growth across diverse African markets by tailoring their product strategies to local player behaviors, developing retention-centric mechanics for low-stakes players, and maintaining agility in regulatory compliance.
During the conversation, Ronnie Whelan emphasized that Africa presents significant growth opportunities driven by increased smartphone adoption, enhanced mobile connectivity, and a youthful, digitally savvy audience. Nonetheless, he pointed out that a uniform approach isn’t feasible across all regions. Success hinges on a deep understanding of local player preferences.
Commenting on the discussion, Olga Resiga, Chief Business Development Officer at SOFTSWISS said: “Although the market is largely shaped by low-stakes players, success comes from managing large player volumes through personalised strategies. This requires deep player analytics, precise bonus management, and personalised marketing mechanics applied at scale. This is exactly where SOFTSWISS focuses its efforts – helping operators combine volume, efficiency, and sustainable growth through technology and expertise.”
The discussion also touched on contrasting player preferences across Africa. For instance, Nigeria tends to favor sports betting, while South Africa gravitates towards casino games. To thrive, operators need to adapt their product offerings, gamification tactics, and retention approaches accordingly. An additional key topic was regulation and compliance. Ronnie Whelan pointed out that as regulatory frameworks continue to evolve across the continent, collaboration with local authorities becomes crucial. Building adaptable systems that can respond to regulatory shifts while prioritizing player protection is essential.
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Ronnie Whelan, CEO of KingMakers shared, “African markets offer strong growth potential, but they reward focus and discipline. Operators need to understand each market on its own terms. That’s the only way to build products that genuinely fit local players. Discussions like this are valuable because they move the conversation beyond headlines and into practical execution.”
Whelan also highlighted the potential of cryptocurrencies and stablecoins, suggesting that they could be worth exploring if adopted responsibly by operators.
These themes resonate beyond Africa and are examined more thoroughly in SOFTSWISS’s 2026 iGaming Trends report. The publication delves into global market dynamics, including regulation, AI integration, betting formats, cybersecurity, and responsible gambling initiatives. SOFTSWISS KingMakers African iGaming
