New frontiers are constantly sought across the iGaming landscape. WIth that often comes a frantic scramble for podium position, see various U.S. states and Latin America as prime examples.
One slow burner, however, has been Africa. A long time target of the industry, but one whose potential is only just beginning to come to fruition.
In conversation with iGaming Expert, Director of Commercial iGaming Division, Srdjan Stanojevic, elaborates on the current direction of Fazi within the region, the critical challenges faced when aiming to gain ground, where the future targets lie and just why the studio is sure to be hit across the continent.
iGaming Expert: Fazi has firmly set its sights on Africa as a prime target for future expansion. What prospects do you believe the continent possesses for yourselves, and why do you believe you’ll prove to be a hit?
Srdjan Stanojevic: Africa represents one of the most dynamic and fast-growing gaming regions globally, with strong mobile uses, a young demographic profile, and increasing regulatory clarity across key markets.
For Fazi, the continent holds significant long-term potential, particularly in markets where players appreciate clear mechanics, strong volatility structures, and recognisable features.
In East and North Africa, titles such as Wild Hot 40, Wild Lucky Clover, Wild 27 and Lollas World have achieved strong results thanks to familiar mechanics, interesting features and game flow.
Beyond the games themselves, our success lies in strong operator partnerships, direct account management, and a hands-on market approach — all of which are key ingredients for sustainable growth in Africa.
iGX: What do you believe are the primary challenges being faced upon entering Africa, and how can these be overcome?
SS: The primary challenge when entering African markets is understanding player preferences at a local level. Africa is not a single homogeneous market — each country has distinct player behaviour, spending patterns, and thematic affinities.
Another challenge is maintaining proximity to both operators and players, ensuring that content is properly localized — not just visually, but also in terms of mechanics and feature structure.
These challenges can be overcome through strong local partnerships, data-driven analysis of player behaviour, and direct business development presence in the region. Compliance and regulatory preparation are equally crucial, as demonstrated by our completed compliance procedures for South Africa.
iGX: What is your current footprint within the region, and what would you say has been the key to success within those?
SS: Fazi currently has a strong presence in markets such as Kenya, Nigeria, Mali, Malawi, Cameroon, Tanzania and many more. Historically, we were also active in North African countries, where we built valuable experience in the region.
Our key to success has been building strong partnerships with leading operators in these markets, combined with a deep understanding of player preferences.
Titles featuring familiar mechanics and engaging features — such as Golden Crown, African Treasure, Wild Kingdom and Book of Luxor Double — have performed particularly well because they align with local demand.
iGX: Where will Fazi be targeting for expansion in the near future and why?
SS: South Africa is our immediate strategic focus. Following several years of successful presence in other African regions, expanding into South Africa represents a logical next step.
The market offers significant potential, supported by promising business cases and positive market research results. Despite a demanding compliance procedure, we have now completed regulatory requirements and are preparing the first batch of games for launch.
Importantly, our focus on South Africa will not slow down our expansion into other African markets — both those where we are already present and those where we are at the early stages of entry.
iGX: What have you found to be the best strategies for heightening the appeal of Fazi’s catalogue to players within the continent, and how does this differ from country to country?
SS: The most effective strategy has been localization on multiple levels — themes, storytelling, and especially game mechanics.
Providing stable, familiar mechanics with recognisable features from the Fazi portfolio helps position us as a reliable provider in each market.
However, differences do exist between countries. Some markets respond more strongly to certain volatility structures or thematic elements, which is why continuous behavioural analysis and operator feedback are essential.
Our upcoming Wild campaign, which places year-round focus on our high-performing Wild portfolio, is also an important strategic lever. By combining strong-performing features with targeted marketing support and close operator collaboration, we aim to build brand recognisability and player loyalty — particularly in South Africa, where the campaign aligns with our market entry timing.
iGX: Looking at the months ahead, what do you have planned to achieve the results desired from these efforts within Africa?
SS: In the months ahead, our priorities include:
– Launching our first wave of certified games in South Africa.
– Rolling out targeted marketing campaigns in cooperation with operators.
– Strengthening direct account marketing activities.
– Expanding our localized portfolio based on real-time market feedback.
Africa remains an important continent for Fazi, and our strategy is based on steady, well-researched expansion rather than short-term entry.
By combining compliance readiness, strong partnerships, localized content, and structured marketing campaigns, we are confident in achieving sustainable growth across the region.
