According to Ekaterina Mayorova, Head of Region for Africa at QTech Games, Africa’s iGaming market is evolving along a distinct path, forcing operators to rethink European-led betting models built around desktop usage and legacy player behaviour.
Speaking to iGaming AFRIKA, Mayorova says that Africa’s mobile-first reality is not a transitional phase but a structural difference that directly influences how products must be designed and delivered.
“Africa is already a mobile-first continent, and players here have very different expectations from those in mature markets,” says Mayorova.
“They want instant access, social interaction and experiences that blur the line between playing, watching and betting.”
Rather than replicating European sportsbook and casino formats, Mayorova argues operators must adapt to consumption patterns shaped by smartphones, social platforms and real-time engagement.
Structural challenges, not capability gaps
Mayorova also highlights deeper ecosystem challenges, particularly around leadership access and representation, describing them as structural rather than cultural or skills based.
“Limited access to mentorship, uneven exposure to leadership pathways and closed hiring networks tend to reinforce the same power structures,” she says.
“Women are often present in the ecosystem but excluded from strategic influence, product development and long-term direction.”
She notes that esports and digitally native gaming verticals could help reduce these barriers, as they rely less on traditional corporate hierarchies and more on creativity, community-building and technical skills.
However, Mayorova cautions that progress is not automatic, adding: “Without deliberate support for career development, the same imbalances can easily reappear in new sectors.”
Inclusion as an economic imperative
According to Mayorova, diversity should be viewed as a commercial and innovation issue rather than a reputational one.
“Inclusion in Africa’s iGaming sector is not a branding exercise, it is an economic issue,” she says.
“Broader representation leads to better products, wider appeal and more resilient ecosystems.”
She adds that Africa has a rare opportunity to shape its own iGaming standards, rather than inheriting legacy industry structures from Europe or North America: “If women are equally represented, gaming and esports become richer, more innovative and more authentic.
“Africa can define its own future, and the market will be stronger for it.”
