SOFTSWISS Panel Details True Costs Facing iGaming Operators in African Markets

A SOFTSWISS-hosted panel has detailed how licensing represents only a fraction of the investment required to enter African iGaming markets. Localisation, certification, payment integration, and compliance drive the bulk of launch costs, with South Africa illustrating the scale of requirements beyond initial approvals. The discussion, titled “Not a Cheap Bet: The Economics of Launch in the African iGaming Market,” featured input from the Mpumalanga Economic Regulator, Jabula Bets, Legends Gaming and Management Solutions, and SOFTSWISS, as reported by Focus Gaming News.

Africa comprises 54 countries that differ in licensing rules, anti-money laundering requirements, and player habits. Payment methods vary by jurisdiction, with mobile money dominant in Kenya, vouchers, electronic funds transfers, and cards common in South Africa, and USSD plus agent networks used elsewhere. Operators may deploy a single platform across borders but require distinct compliance and content strategies in each market.

Regulatory and Operational Barriers in South Africa

South Africa requires operators to secure approvals province by province across nine distinct authorities, each with its own process and timelines ranging from three, six, or 12 months. Products demand certification from a test lab and the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS), plus 21 market-specific regulatory reports. Some operators licensed more than a year ago remain unlaunched due to additional software development.

Mariia Halaida, head of business development in Africa at SOFTSWISS, said: “Local content is crucial. If you want to operate in Kenya, you would have a different set of game providers than in West Africa or South Africa. So for us as a platform provider, aggregation provider, it’s crucial to offer our clients the content that would fit their needs and their markets. We don’t have just one offer for everyone out there. It’s completely personalised.” Halaida emphasised that game content must be fully customised rather than offered as a single portfolio.

Licensing itself counts among the smaller launch costs. Major expenditures cover localisation, certification, local staffing, Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) requirements, technology, payments, and ongoing marketing. Vusi Mtsweni, CEO at Mpumalanga Economic Regulator, added: “For international operators, don’t come to South Africa simply because the market is growing. Come because you understand the market, the regulatory environment, the consumer and the economics. And because you are prepared to invest for the long term.”

Ground-Level Preparation as Competitive Necessity

Panellists advised operators to begin with a business strategy, followed by feasibility studies, on-the-ground consultations, partner due diligence, and early collaboration with local entities and test labs. Building platforms in-house risks multi-year, multi-million-dollar delays, leading many to select experienced providers instead. A slow system, failed deposit, or weak customer service can squander marketing budgets on players who then disengage.

This reality favors operators who treat entry as a sustained commitment rather than a regulatory checkbox. Those who map costs against actual market conditions will hold a clearer advantage over entrants relying on generic assumptions.

Reporting: Focus Gaming News

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