Ever since moving into the Kenyan market back in early 2015, Betway has been one of the most ambitious betting companies looking to expand further across Africa. Since their initial launch in the potentially highly lucrative South African market over 2017, the speed at which they have rolled out their service has been little short of breathtaking. As with any major global brand, their ambition is to deliver the same quality anywhere in the world, and their SA project serves to highlight how impressive this business model seems to be working.
Why Is Betway So Keen On South Africa?
It is hardly a secret that the growth of online gambling has been one of the most significant developments in recent years. Largely thanks to the ubiquitous growth in smartphone use supported by high-speed internet, governments across the world have been ever more inclined to regulating betting as a means of fresh revenue. Whereas Europe remains the prime target of many of the major international betting firms, progress has been frustratingly slow especially in the Eastern European states.
However, South Africa has long been willing to work with betting companies – the problem has been the quality of telecommunication infrastructure outside of the major cities. Since this has been improved over this decade, it is now a ripe market – which Betway are currently at the forefront of developing. There is a potentially huge market for sports betting in South Africa, especially with high profile international tournaments and UK/European football leagues.
Betway Deliver A Consistent Quality Of Service
There have been online gambling firms operating in South Africa for years, but they have typically been poor quality local offerings or very watered down versions of the international casinos. This is why many market observers are convinced that Betway will win over a large share of this market – they offer a near-total parity of service the same as their UK based site. This is important for numerous reasons:
A High-Quality Website
Betway South Africa (https://www.betway.co.za/) is a near identical copy of their flagship UK site. This is not just in terms of smart presentation and sleek design – it is also in regards to practical functionality. Users have world-class data encryption to protect their personal details, can deposit and withdraw with confidence via a wide variety of means, and perhaps most importantly of all access their account via a wide range of platforms. The site works seamlessly on a smartphone, tablet, and pc with customers even able to place bets via text should they be outside of wifi service.
A Huge Variety Of Betting Markets
Betway has traditionally adopted a sports book theme, but have made considerable expansion into slots, casino and virtual gaming in recent years. As a one-stop-shop, they offer a comprehensive platform that is ideal for the casual gambler. On top of being able to place bets instantaneously, they also offer their very popular in match markets which allow fans to place bets as games develop. Even though they are thousands of miles away from Europe, their close timezone with the top football leagues allows this to be a huge untapped market. Millions of people tune into these matches already – so why not allow them the option to enjoy a flutter as the match develops?
Promotion Of African Sports
Betway is notable for already sponsoring the team shirts of plenty of clubs (especially in the UK) and have been busy forming associations with a number of African teams. At the moment these are largely still in the Kenyan league however it’d be churlish not to predict a similar expansion into the SA leagues very soon. It isn’t just about marketing either. The company has supported numerous successful talent development projects and again these will most certainly be expanded into SA soon.
Where Next For Betway SA?
Betway is currently one of – if not the best – betting companies operating in South Africa. The key may well be in focusing not just upon international betting but also the domestic sports markets. SA may not be world famous for their home football leagues, but they do have well-attended and viewed cricket and rugby associations that are ripe for sponsorship and investment. Forming such partnerships may be enough to push them into a market leading position like they have managed in Kenya, and with a current great start expect their profile only to grow in coming years.
