Africa
APO Group’s new exclusive agreement with Getty Images will showcase the best of African sport for new audiences all over the world
Images – and press releases – about African sport will be made instantly available to over one million global Getty Images subscribers
APO Group, the leading Pan-African communications consultancy and press release distribution service, today signed an exclusive agreement with Getty Images, a world leader in visual communications, that will make images – and press releases – about African sport instantly available to tens of thousands of media organizations all over the world.
As a result of the collaboration between the two companies which started in 2019, Getty Images’ vast network of over one million global subscribers will have access to APO Group clients press announcements and high-quality editorial images.
This will come at no extra cost to the standard price of APO Group’s Pan-African press release distribution service. APO Group’s multinational customers are active all across Africa, and this new arrangement will help shine a light on some of the positive stories being told on the continent every day.
Sport also has a major role to play in the changing of global perceptions about Africa. Getty Images is the official photographic partner to over 85 of the world’s leading sports governing bodies, leagues, and clubs including FIFA and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), so its media subscribers are used to seeing the very best sporting imagery.
APO Group is the exclusive Pan-African communications consultancy for the NBA and the Basketball Africa League. APO Group is also the Main Official Sponsor of World Rugby’s African association, Rugby Africa, and an official sponsor of Team Qhubeka Assos, the only professional African cycling team on the UCI World Tour, and the annual Lux Afrique Polo Day. Through these partnerships, APO Group will be able to showcase the best of African sport to new audiences all over the world.
Getty Images is one of the most instantly recognizable names in international media, with over one million clients in almost every country in the world. It has over 425 million assets, encompassing the latest global news, sports, celebrity, music and fashion coverage, as well as exclusive conceptual creative images. It is also home to the world’s largest commercial archive.
APO Group has led the way in press release distribution in Africa since 2007. Its client-base features prominent international companies from diverse industries, all of whom have great insights to share and stories to tell as they establish operations in Africa, or develop their presence on the continent.
One of the company’s main goals is to find a new way of challenging international perceptions and changing the narrative about Africa. Ultimately, it is about driving trade and investment, and helping to stimulate African economies as well.
“This is a truly groundbreaking moment,” said APO Group Founder and Chairman, Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard. “For our clients, it means an incredible opportunity to reach further with their content than ever before. For Africa, it means the chance to break the cycle of negative news and show the world the bigger picture. I am so thankful to Getty Images for opening their network to Africa. They are using their unparalleled reach and reputation to elevate our continent on the world stage.”
“We are pleased to continue our partnership with APO Group and offer African businesses and organisations access to the world’s newsrooms via our unrivalled distribution platform,” said Eugene Cariaga, Senior Director at Getty Images.
Africa
EveryMatrix secures largest African turnkey deal with MBet partnership
EveryMatrix has sealed its largest turnkey platform partnership in Africa to date and will migrate MBet from its existing software to EveryMatrix technology.
The turnkey sportsbook agreement will see EveryMatrix power MBet with its award-winning technology in Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
MBet’s sports betting offering will be transformed via the high-performing, ‘always-on’ OddsMatrix digital sportsbook platform that includes access to a content catalogue of 170,000+ monthly live sportsbook events, empowering Odds Management control tools and comprehensive 11-sport pre-live and live Bet Builder.
The East African operator will also gain access to a suite of player-friendly localised products including in-house lightweight front end, USSD betting, SMS functionality, Do It Yourself manual event creation tools and a dynamic betslip engine supporting 50+ accumulator selections.
This enhanced sportsbook platform package will be further supplemented by the integration of additional EveryMatrix core turnkey products including casino productivity platform CasinoEngine, cross-product reward system BonusEngine and player management platform GamMatrix.
Migrating from 11-year-old proprietary technology to an EveryMatrix tech stack, MBet becomes the latest ambitious operator to join the rapidly expanding EveryMatrix platform network. Fresh from the recent acquisitions of FSB Technology and Fantasma Games, the industry’s fastest growing iGaming technology supplier now has more than 1,100+ staff across 15 global offices.
Established in 2013, MBet has developed into one of the leading sportsbook brands in the competitive East African region following the creation of a customer-centric proposition aided by a portfolio of local sports partnerships.
Ebbe Groes, CEO and co-founder, EveryMatrix, said: “This tier-1 African turnkey partnership sends a strong signal that EveryMatrix is rapidly becoming the ‘go-to’ platform provider for ambitious operators in the exciting Africa region.
“Africa presents a unique set of scalability challenges for platform providers and, with millions of bets processed daily across our OddsMatrix sportsbook platform, this is a region tailormade for the transformative capabilities of the EveryMatrix technology.
“I’m particularly pleased to see this deal follow our acquisition of FSB Technology. FSB has developed a strong client base across the African continent and the experience and product readiness from FSB was instrumental in EveryMatrix winning this landmark deal.
“We are pleased to welcome MBet to the EveryMatrix platform and look forward to propelling their offering into a market-leading proposition in Tanzania, DRC and beyond.”
Javier Diaz, CEO, MBet, said: “We are immensely proud of everything MBet has achieved in the last decade. Securing leading positions in Tanzania and the DRC has demonstrated the growth journey we’ve been on.
“What has become clear in the last 18 months is that to take us to the next level in our operations we need to be aligned with a leading third-party technology provider.
“After a thorough search we are confident that we have selected the right partner in EveryMatrix. The hyper growth they have achieved globally in the last several years has been inspiring and their end-to-end turnkey offering provides us with the content, tools, features and localised capabilities to differentiate our daily offering and scale MBet upwards onto a new level.”
Africa
Tekkorp Launches Strategic Initiative To Capitalize On African Market
Tekkorp Capital, the leading global betting and gaming investment and advisory boutique, is delighted to announce Conor O’Donovan is joining to lead its African business, in response to the rapidly growing opportunities across the continent. With a decade of expertise in the African market as a prominent equity investor and several years of hands-on experience as CEO of multi-territory African betting brands, Conor’s leadership will be crucial as Tekkorp and its partners navigate and invest in this rapidly developing region.
Conor’s strategic focus will be on identifying exciting investment opportunities, while assembling an advisory and management team of leading African industry luminaries to steer investment and operational oversight. Investee companies will benefit from Tekkorp’s and its capital partners’ investment along with the decades of experience built up with some of the most successful businesses in the sector. For operators requiring more than access to capital, Tekkorp will provide comprehensive operational, technical, and strategic support, including product solutions, media partnerships, payments, and legal expertise, ensuring the full resources needed to succeed.
Conor O’Donovan, Tekkorp Capital Africa Partner, said: “Africa offers some of the most exciting growth opportunities in global gaming, with a range of attractive targets across diverse markets. At the same time, the landscape is fragmented and has its unique set of nuances and challenges. Tekkorp, alongside our strategic partners, is well-equipped to navigate these complexities and bring out the potential in strong, locally led businesses. Our goal is to turn these promising companies into regional leaders, building a diversified portfolio of high-performing, compliant brands with strong governance, unblocking the barriers to major operators investing with confidence.”
Matt Davey, Tekkorp Capital’s Founder and Chairman, commented: “It’s well-known that Africa is a high-growth market, and over the next decade we expect to see strong growth at a significant pace. This will encourage more operators to enter the space, and that’s why we believe the time is right to get ahead of the coalescing trends and create a balanced portfolio of premium African assets, underpinned by our local expertise, to best capitalise on this profitable opportunity.”
Robin Chhabra, Tekkorp Capital’s CEO, added: “Of course, we’ve long been active investors in the sports betting and gaming industry, always looking for great businesses with strong opportunities in market segments or territories we like. So, this focus on Africa is a logical extension of that philosophy. We’ve assembled a crack team, with Conor’s nous and know-how at the helm, as we explore another fragmented market rich with possibilities.”
Africa
SmartSoft’s expertise and future vision for the African market
In recent years, the online gaming landscape has witnessed a surge in innovative and engaging titles that capture the interest of players worldwide. Among these, first ever flying crash game by SmartSoft – JetX emerged as a standout game, particularly gaining substantial traction in Africa. This article provides an in-depth examination of JetX, a popular online crash game, and explores the expertise behind its creation. By focusing on the game’s features, the developer SmartSoft Gaming, and insights from an interview with the Vice President Commercial, we aim to highlight the factors contributing to JetX’s success and its impact on the gaming industry.
About SmartSoft Gaming
Founded in Georgia in 2015 by industry experts, SmartSoft set out to create a one-of-a-kind casino games provider that offers high-quality gaming experiences worldwide. By combining interactive features with captivating visuals, we blend gaming and gambling to deliver more engaging, entertaining, and superior experiences. Our mission is not just to attract players but to enhance their enjoyment.
To gain further insights into the development of JetX and the vision behind its creation, we spoke with the Vice President Commercial of SmartSoft.
Rusa Javakhishvili Vice President Commercial of SmartSoft shared insights and analytics from African countries, and outlined future plans. Rusa joined SmartSoft two years ago as Head of Finance and Strategic Projects. In early 2024, she transitioned to the commercial side as Head of Account Management, and is now Vice President of Commercials, overseeing several regions, including Africa.
What was the general concept and inspiration behind JetX?
In recent years, the online gaming landscape has witnessed a surge in innovative and engaging titles that capture the interest of players worldwide. Among these, JetX has emerged as a standout game, particularly gaining substantial traction in Africa. The main concept of the game is that it is easy to play, the player is involved in the decision as much as possible, it is fast and within the fast-paced world we think that it delivers exactly what players need for an enjoyable experience.
How does JetX differentiate itself from other crash games in the market?
At SmartSoft, we appreciate our relationships with partners, it’s very important to us. We constantly think and work to create a valuable product and maintain strong connections with them. SmartSoft’s portfolio includes a diverse range of online casino games, each designed to offer unique features and interactive gameplay but JetX is the literal gem!
JetX is an online crash game that combines simplicity with excitement, offering players an engaging betting experience. This dynamic gameplay requires both luck and strategy, appealing to a broad audience seeking quick, high-stakes action. JetX stands out due to its user-friendly interface, real-time gameplay, and mobile compatibility, making it accessible and enjoyable for players on the go. Its growing popularity in Africa can be attributed to its exciting gameplay mechanics and the potential for significant winnings.
What strategies did you employ to ensure JetX appeals to a diverse audience, particularly in Africa?
When we expanded into the African market, we knew it’s a big and diverse region, so it’s important to understand each country individually instead of seeing it as one market. With our partners’ help, we’re working hard to learn about each country’s marketing practices and what types of games people enjoy. It’s a challenging task, but the African market is a top priority for us, and we’ve allocated resources to quickly build our knowledge in this area.
How has JetX been received by African players compared to other regions? Are there any notable differences in player behavior or preferences?
The African market is one of the most interesting and significant for us, and we believe it has great potential. It is a highly dynamic and exciting market, where players are exposed to a wide variety of games. Their enthusiasm for diverse content gives us inspiration and motivation to create games specifically tailored to their unique preferences and needs. Moreover, they are quick to engage with new releases, eagerly embracing fresh content when it aligns with their tastes and expectations. Although Crash products were introduced only recently, they have quickly become a favorite among consumers. We expect this trend to continue growing.
How do you assess player feedback and incorporate it into ongoing game improvements?
This is a crucial aspect for us. That’s why, in collaboration with our partners, we consistently review key feedback on our games and strive to incorporate it as much as possible into new versions. We strive to bring enjoyment in everything we do – whether it’s in our work environment, or for the end users. Our goal is to delight both the customers and ourselves with our work. Therefore, we integrate gaming’s fun elements into gambling to maximize enjoyment. This approach fuels our drive to innovate and create playful experiences, redefining the gambling industry and making it more entertaining;
What future developments or updates can players expect for JetX?
Our product has undergone numerous changes since its inception, with many more improvements planned. These changes are aimed at delivering the best possible user experience for players while ensuring the product remains of the highest technical quality.
How has the success of JetX influenced SmartSoft’s approach to game development?
JetX, the first Crash game created in 2018, holds a special place as one of the company’s most beloved titles. Its global popularity is evident, and we’re thrilled that players enjoy it. At SmartSoft, having a diversified portfolio is crucial, which is why we release new games every year. As pioneers in the Crash genre, we ensure that we continually expand our offerings. Our goal is to provide players with a wide range of high-quality games they can trust to deliver an enjoyable experience.
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