Even with load shedding causing frustration among both athletes and officials alike, Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) was able to still host a verys successful championship were all participants were able to compete and, most of all, have fun.

With the “competent” South African government stating that South Africa will have load shedding for the next two years, MSSA is already reviewing its policies in regard to load shedding and its online championships.

Load shedding has a huge impact on esports, and may end up causing online console and pc gaming to become elitist as only those who are substantially financially advantaged will be able to compete. It may also result in mobile esports becoming more popular.. A continuous and consistent electricity supply is vital to South Africa developing as a major esports nation.

Nevertheless, MSSA is more than happy with the results from the 2023 Northern Cape Championships.

There were no less than seven (7) provinces represented, and more importantly, there were more females participating since 2020. Of the 22 athletes who earned Provincial Colours, 7 of such athletes are females.

Special mention must be made of Karli Roodt (Middelburg Hoërskool) who is the first female champion in the esports title of Rocket League to earn Mpumalanga Provincial colours. Karli also qualifies for National Team Trials, and may very well end up in the National Squad and/or Protea Team.

The female esports team, VYBN Females, also had a good showing in the CSGO esports title. The team has now earned Provincial colours as well as qualifying for National Team Trials, and may very well end up in the National Squad and/or Protea Team. Of course, CSGO is just  one of the six titles which MSSA has entered to contest at IESF’s 15th World Championships.

IESF’s 15th World Championships will be played to the following titles:

• Counter-Strike: GO (CSGO)
• Counter-Strike: GO (CSGO) – Female division
• DotA 2
• eFootball
• Mobile Legends, Bang Bang
• PUBGM
• Tekken 7

The winners of the 2023 Northern Cape Online Championships are:

iGaming and sports betting solutions provider Technamin has appointed Hmayak Manukyan as Regional Director Africa.

The experienced salesman will head up the company’s expansion in markets across Africa, where it is looking to fuse in-depth industry knowledge with the latest available technologies.

Welcoming him to his new role, Technamin Founder and CEO Suren Khachatryan said: “Hmayak brings a wealth of industry knowledge to Technamin which will serve us well in the months to come.

“The growing markets throughout Africa are a golden opportunity for us and I am confident we have just what it takes to provide operators with an innovative and cost-effective alternative to what is currently on offer.”

Hmayak Manukyan added: “I’m very eager to explore this opportunity at Technamin as the company is currently one of the most exciting ones in the industry.

“I cannot wait to see what comes of our collaboration as the African region is full of untapped potential which is crying out for better products and services.”

Manukyan will join fellow Technamin team members at this year’s ICE London, where visitors can find them at stand S2-120.

The Spanish company MGA Games is going through one of its best moments, focusing its growth on international expansion into new markets. Specialists in creating online productions for casino operators around the world, MGA Games has just released its content on the Premier Bet brand platforms in Africa.

This operation marks the beginning of MGA Games’ expansion in the African continent, a region with great prospects for the future and where the company wants to expand and continue growing until it achieves a prominent position.

Premier Bet is owned by GOAT Interactive, a leading technology, and management services provider to sports betting, lottery, and gaming operators in Africa, and also the owner of the Premier Vegas brand. Via its clients, the company has a strong presence in more than 26 countries, with several satellite management offices throughout Europe.

The release of games from MGA Games has been gradual. Currently, players at Premier Bet casinos can enjoy online slot games like GT World Challenge and Lucky Dragon. And a selection of video bingo games – content that arouses great interest in these countries – with titles such as Calaca Party, Buffalo Bingo, Sweet Home, Bingo Sea, Vikings, Magician, Disco, and Roma Bingo.

“Our games are in online casinos in Cameroon, Congo, DR Congo, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Tchad, and Zambia -explains Javier Lanfranchi, MGA Games Sales Director- and we will gradually enter the rest of the countries where Premier Bet operates.”

For Lanfranchi, the entry into Africa is the result of the excellent work by the MGA Games team. “We maintain a constant innovative vision that we contribute to in each and every one of our productions: be they slot games, video bingos, or table games. We care about offering titles with a differential value that provide maximum profitability to our clients. This translates into an ever-evolving catalogue of games that will enhance GOAT Interactive’s offering and ensure its leading position in Africa.”

With this agreement, MGA Games gains a presence in four continents and strengthens its position as one of the largest companies creating localised products for online casino operators around the world.