Africa
Pan Africa Gaming Group Launches to Grow the Gaming Industry in Africa
Ten game development studios in Africa have come together under one umbrella, the Pan Africa Gaming Group (PAGG), in an effort to unify the continent’s gaming sector, which is currently fragmented.
Launched during Africa Games Week 2022 in Cape Town, the Group aims to grow the Africa Gaming industry by 2x every year due to the rapid growth of youth with Internet-connected smartphones on the continent.
The Group, which represents 10 African countries, include the following studios: South Africa (Sea Monster), Senegal (Kayfo Games), Cameroon (Kiro’o Games), Ghana (Leti Arts), Tunisia (Digital Mania), Ethiopia (Qene Games), Kenya (Usiku Games), Tanzania (Khanga Rue), Rwanda (DopeApps), and African Diaspora (Messeka Games).
Pan Africa Gaming Group will be governed through a Founders’ Council combining many of the top gaming entrepreneurs across the continent. They will be joined by Peter Kihara (ex-Goldman Sachs & PWC) serving as the Group Chief Financial Officer and Jake Manion (BAFTA nominated Game Director at Aardman Animation in the UK) serving as Group Creative Director.
Each studio will maintain its sovereignty and autonomy when it comes to things such as the brand, leadership and financial independence. The founders will work together collaboratively, voting up/down proposals and resolutions brought to the Founders’ Council.
According to Dawit Abraham, CEO of Qene Games (Ethiopia) and spokesperson for the Pan Africa Gaming Group, the network has been formed to enable the Africa Gaming Industry to unlock the world’s next one billion players.
“Together, we represent over 200 professionals and 8 different languages. Our team has over 30yrs of experience, leading some of the top gaming companies globally, including Ubisoft, Electronic Arts & Aardman Animation. We have produced more mobile, PC & console games than anyone else on the continent. Most importantly, all of our network members are committed to #GamingForGood, harnessing the power of gamification to create a positive social impact in our local communities,” Dawit Abraham said.
The Group is developing & publishing locally relevant content that is relatable to African gamers. Despite the massive audience growing on the continent, there is still very little relevant, local content in Africa, according to Jake Manion.
“We are creating a portfolio of mobile-first casual games that are fun, non-violent, and gender-inclusive. Our games are Made-In-Africa, For Africa, featuring African heroes wrapped in local culture, music & environments. This allows our players to see themselves reflected in our games, which makes all the difference,” Jake Manion said.
PAGG’s more than one hundred existing games entertain, engage and educate. By harnessing the power of gamification, the Group is creating fun ways to solve some of the continent’s challenges, including healthcare, education, women’s empowerment and climate change.
Once developed though, content must be published in order to reach the audience. To that end, PAGG brings together the “Gara” African game store, and “AfroComix” the largest African eComics publishing platform. Through these PAGG will have a channel for distributing its games tied in with Africa’s dozens of diverse payment platforms including mobile money, airtime billing, and credit cards.
To expand these efforts in the future, PAGG is equipping and training Africa’s next generation of game developers, creating new jobs across the continent for youth. As an example, the Nairobi Game Development Center is a 6000 sq ft community co-working space that will be replicated in each of the African markets to train, incubate and host the next generation of talent.
“One of our core values is not just to build a collection of games, but to incubate Africa’s gaming industry of tomorrow. There is a wealth of incredible talent already on the continent, with more graduating every year from top-tier game development schools like Rubika. Most graduates though are relegated to doing remote work for overseas clients due to the lack of local gaming job opportunities. We’re going to fix that,” Eyram Tawia, CEO of Leti Arts in Ghana, said.
Africa
Punt Casino Voted as “Best No Download Casino 2024” by Popular Guide SouthAfricanCasinos.co.za
South Africa’s most-coveted online casino repository and guide, SouthAfricanCasino.co.za, has recently voted for Punt Casino as the “Best No Download Casino in 2024” in South Africa. Given that the vast majority of present-day online casinos are all “no download” casinos, the field was highly-competitive and the stakes were high.
Receiving such a testimony from SouthAfricanCasino.co.za, the most reputed and popular South African online casinos knowledge base on the World Wide Web, is a massive feather in Punt Casino’s cap. This sentiment was mirrored by Punt Casino management that expressed their sheer delight. They deemed it an honor to be titled the best no download casino in 2024 and added that they would strive to keep up the quality of their platform and maybe even enhance it going into 2024.
“SAC (SouthAfricanCasino.Co.Za) is a go-to resource for most South African online casino enthusiasts. Players know that SAC tests every casino meticulously and they listen to SAC about which casinos are worth their time and which ones are better skipped. Given how important they are in shaping the iGaming market across South Africa, we are elated and proud to have been titled the best no-download casino by SAC this year”, said Punt Casino’s Quality Manager. “This accolade has boosted the morale of our team and we’re now more motivated than ever to continue doing the work and putting out the best games, free spins bonuses, casino features, free bonus no deposit casinos and payment options for our valued members.”, he added.
The operations manager at SAC, Michelle Williams, was happy to hand over the winning title to Punt Casino. “In this day and age, online casino real money players simply don’t have the time to download and install software, they want to be able to play instantly and Punt casino is the best no-download, instant-play casino in the market right now by a long mile. They’ve got the basics right, and they’ve also managed to get all the little details spot on. With a user-friendly interface that is light weight and practical, even a first-timer will feel at ease playing games, depositing funds and withdrawing winnings”, said Williams.
“We’ve looked closely at every nook and corner of the Punt website. Our quality testing team went over their terms and conditions with a fine-toothed comb. In addition to being a fantastic no-download casino with hundreds of entertaining games, Punt casino leaves no stones unturned when it comes to player data security, privacy and responsible gambling features.” William further commented.
Williams also elaborated on how seamless Punt mobile casino is, “Even though there are hundreds of SA-facing no-download online casinos, only a handful are truly mobile optimized. Punt Casino is clearly the pack leader. The mobile site is certainly not an afterthought; it works seamlessly on smartphones and tables across all leading mobile operating systems. Mobile players can access the Punt casino site in seconds using Google Chrome or Safari and pick up right where they left off. Punt Casino is the true hallmark of what a no-download mobile casino should look and feel like in 2024”, added Williams.
Punt Casino’s manager Daniel Miller was quick to acknowledge SAC putting their reputation on the line for Punt. “Being the biggest and best online casino guide in SA, SAC sticks its neck out every time it backs an online casino with a title. Being titled “best no-download casino” is a huge vote of confidence from SAC and we appreciate the recognition very much. The onus is now on us to keep the good work going and further improve our site’s standards going into 2024. Thanks to this title, we now have a target on our backs, where other online casinos will be looking to emulate what we’ve done. “We are very excited to enter a new era of online casino gaming and we’ve already got some fantastic enhancement features in the pipeline that I cannot give away details about”.
According to Michelle Williams, South AfricanCasinos.co.za has made it their primary focus to provide South African players with high-quality, secure, and lucrative online gaming. This includes no-download casinos, real money slots games, which are going to be the future of web casino gaming. Gone are the days when you had to download and install an app before you could wager on a game.
Williams reiterated that Punt Casino had won the Best No-download Casino Award for 2024 purely through merit and totally deserve the title. Although Punt Casino is a no-download casino, it does not ignore any of the essentials.
The Punt Casino customer support team is highly-responsive, well-trained and always there should a player have a question or need help. Players can reach out to support staff in seconds thanks to the convenient live chat channel, which is just a click away when playing on PC or mobile.
Africa
Aviatrix and Hollywoodbets ready for take-off in South Africa
The award-winning crash game Aviatrix is arriving in South Africa for the first time, exclusively with leading betting operator Hollywoodbets.
Hollywoodbets players will enjoy exclusive access to a range of daily tournaments and promotions, making their Aviatrix adventure even more thrilling. Anastasia Rimskaya, Chief Account Officer at Aviatrix, said: “Bringing Aviatrix to South Africa exclusively with Hollywoodbets is an exciting milestone for us. We’re excited to offer South African players a unique experience where they can build, customise, and pilot their own planes while competing for rewards. With Hollywoodbets, we’re confident Aviatrix will soar to new heights in this vibrant market.”
Wayde Dorkin, Head of Product at Hollywoodbets, said: “Everyone at Hollywoodbets is ready for take-off with Aviatrix. Players will be able to exclusively enjoy the game in South Africa, building their own planes, soaring through the skies and earning incredible rewards along the way. Aviatrix delivers an unmatched gaming experience that will keep players on the edge of their seats!”
Aviatrix was recently named ‘Game of the Year’ at the EGR Operator Awards 2024.
The title is constantly updated with new features and functionality, such as the ability to claim free bets with promo codes within the game.
Africa
Racing1 partners with SOREC to bring International Racing to Morocco for the first time
Racing1, the brand name for the newly created Strategic Alliance between Tabcorp, Racecourse Media Group (RMG), 1/ST CONTENT and Arena Racing Company (ARC), has quickly broken new ground in an industry-first deal with SOREC (Société Royale d’Encouragement du Cheval) to import international racing into Morocco across digital and retail channels.
By leveraging Racing1’s truly global distribution network and reach, Moroccan racing fans can now enjoy a best-in-breed racing experience from the comfort of their homes, on the move, or in-store at their local retail outlet. The integration arrives courtesy of Racing1’s four cornerstone partners, who are already providing daily racing from the UK, North America and Australia via SOREC, creating an immediate spike in new revenues, and opening the door to many of the planet’s most prestigious racetracks.
Via the Racing1 brand, 1/ST CONTENT, ARC, RMG and Tabcorp are deploying their collective expertise to deliver targeted, localised solutions (featuring bespoke 24/7 racing video, data and wagering packages, including tote and managed trading services) that appeal to assorted audiences and their respective betting proclivities, whether they’re already familiar with racing, or new to the sport and in need of more educational content.
More broadly, Racing1’s compelling daily timetable of engaging horse racing action from around the world boasts a 24/7 chronology to seamlessly complement any racing or sporting schedule across all time-zones, supplying global partners with a reliable source of fast-settling betting content at varied viewing windows throughout diverse territories.
Racing1 confirmed the announcement at the recent ALA Conference (Association des Lotteries d’Afrique, 1 November) in Marrakesh which drew 12 African delegations, including representatives from national lotteries and government ministries. In a continent where football is king, there is now an emerging opportunity for North and West African operators and their customers to be introduced to more worldwide racing and the flexibility its 24/7 program presents.
Simon Fraser, spokesperson for Racing1, said: “The new Racing1 name symbolises the network of content leaders and right holders that our Strategic Partnership has conveniently coalesced into one all-access 24/7 hub. Transcending international boundaries, Racing1 is untying the tangled worldwide web of racing rights, while simultaneously bringing data-led innovation that dramatically deepens fans’ engagement. Our goal is to improve access and international interest in horse racing at a time when the sport is facing certain regulatory headwinds.
“It’s a great way to help global operators engage new and under-served audiences by delivering 24/7 horse racing. And, in this instance of Morocco, courtesy of our good friends at SOREC, international racing is now both complementing their domestic cards and also being broadcast at peak evening viewing slots. It’s all part of our wider Strategic Alliance promise to return better value to racing’s key stakeholders through more and more international deals.”
Omar Skalli, CEO of SOREC, added: “This partnership with Racing1 is a milestone for Moroccan horse racing fans, offering unprecedented access to the excitement of international horse racing and enriching their understanding of the sport. With daily coverage from top racing regions like the UK, North America and Australia via SOREC networks, our audience can now experience the thrill of the world’s most prestigious racetracks.”
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