Ep 568: 888Africa's Christopher Coyne on Cracking the African Market

In this episode of iGaming Daily’s Road to Lisbon series, host Charlie Horner sits down with Christopher Coyne, Co-Founder and CEO of 888Africa, for a discussion about the continent's iGaming landscape. 

Drawing from his global experience in the European and Australian iGaming sectors, Christopher highlights how Africa’s unique challenges, such as outdated mobile devices, limited bandwidth, and a multitude of languages, create both obstacles and extraordinary opportunities. He points out that Africa's rapidly growing population and increasing government openness to regulated gaming as a source of tax revenue are driving a new era of professional iGaming expansion.

The conversation moves deeper into 888Africa’s strategic roadmap, shedding light on how the company chooses its markets and builds its footprint. Out of the 54 African nations, roughly 30 have regulated iGaming sectors, but entering each requires careful analysis. Christopher outlines a clear checklist: political stability, population size (preferably over 20 million), economic strength, and growing mobile penetration. Licensing frameworks and market competition are also major considerations. 

To illustrate the continent's varied regulatory and market environments, the episode contrasts two specific countries: Kenya and Malawi. Kenya, once a promising iGaming hub, is now riddled with regulatory reversals, including sudden tax hikes and a sweeping ban on advertising and CRM tools, measures that have created friction between operators and policymakers. 

Meanwhile, Malawi is emerging as an exciting new frontier, attracting serious attention due to its open regulatory stance and competitive yet fertile landscape. Christopher is optimistic that Malawi’s approach, if mirrored across the region, could compress 10 to 15 years of market maturity into just a few. 

Host: Charlie Horner
Guest: Christopher Coyne
Producer: Anaya McDonald
Editor: James Ross