Jika Sports Aims to Turn Around South African Sportsbetting

WE’RE ALL familiar with the events of the last 12 months or so. In general terms at least, it’s been a regular rollercoaster with perhaps more dips than climbs, particularly for those invested in the sports betting industry. But for those who have bet on virtual games being the future, the brakes have been released and the sector is enjoying one of its most successful periods since its inception.

Kiron Interactive is one such innovator. Having pioneered virtual racing 19 years ago, it has been instrumental in the development and expansion of the virtual sports industry. Since it launched its first ever horse racing game in 2001 from its Johannesburg headquarters, its portfolio has grown to become one of the most diverse on the market, with 24 quality virtual games now available across its global markets. Today, almost all of the major sports events, from football and hockey to basketball and motor racing, have a virtual alternative and with every new sport added or new format developed, the vertical’s appeal grows.

That growth, particularly in Africa, culminated in the 2019 launch of a virtual betting destination for the South African market, Jika Sports, a move that made virtual sports available across all major South African bookmakers online, on mobile and in retail outlets. Among the seven games on offer are the action-packed Jika Soccer game, available in English, Italian, and Spanish league formats, while Jika Racing consists of Kiron’s thrilling market-leading suite of racing games, including horseracing, jumps and greyhound racing.

The Jika Sports portfolio has been developed and deployed on technologically advanced and robust platforms by Kiron’s globally experienced team. As such, it is fully certified in South Africa, with the developer holding a manufacturer’s licence with the South African National Gambling Board and certification through the NRCS with approvals from all Provincial Licensing Authorities to deploy these games in all nine provinces.

Such a tailored and localised product offering couldn’t have come at more opportune time for the market in South Africa as not long after, of course, the pandemic hit and professional sports was wiped from the calendar almost overnight, leaving bettors without any live events to enjoy. Analysis suggests that revenue in the sports industry will be under US$74bn in 2020 as a result of the crisis, almost half that of the pre-covid estimates.

So Jika Sports and Kiron’s wider global products are testament to the huge value of diversity in content offerings. If the last 12 month’s industry struggles taught us anything, it’s that a varied product portfolio is not just nice to have, but essential. The challenges faced during the sports vacuum have forced operators across the world to recognise virtual content as a stable and consistent income stream. In Africa’s strongest online markets, notably Kenya, alternative virtual sports provided a lifeline to keep customers engaged in the absence of sports betting. The vertical succeeded in driving revenue, acquiring customers, and retaining them over the long term. The challenge now is to maintain momentum.

From the supplier side, it’s important that the recent spike in revenues is reinvested in product development. Kiron knows all too well that there is no time to rest on its laurels if it is to sustain the current pace of growth. New games and variants will serve to broaden the appeal and continue to attract new audiences, but it recognises that it also needs to concentrate on quality. One of Kiron’s strengths is the level of authenticity provided by its products. With sharpened focus on technology it can make the virtual experience even more akin to the real-life counterpart. For its most recent product launch, GOAL, Kiron’s in-house animation division and a dedicated team of highly skilled software engineers, worked tirelessly for 18 months to capture the vitality of live football and recreate the high-level stadium atmosphere, even using a real football team with commentary provided by live commentators. But the success of the game wouldn’t have been possible without investment in state-of-the-art motion capture, in combination with the latest gaming technologies and Kiron’s industry-leading maths and algorithms.

At the same time, and particularly in retail dominated African markets, there needs to a concerted focus on online development. The continent’s challenges are known all too well by operators who have been forced to embrace digital channels by the pandemic, but it’s now a case of adapting to survive. Of course, that is easier said than done in markets where data is expensive, connectivity is patchy and payment systems and infrastructure differ widely. Each nation attaches its own set of unique difficulties on these aspects too. For virtuals to reach their full potential on the continent, Kiron and its contemporaries need to work collaboratively. Its base in Johannesburg has provided it with the opportunity to react to the local challenges proactively and the company’s focus now is expanding its reach. This on-the-ground presence will become even more crucial as online sectors develop, no doubt instigating concurrent regulatory changes, and localisation becomes ever more essential. Kiron now operates in over 33 countries in Africa, with Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Uganda and of course South Africa being its strongest markets. Part of its success in the region is a tailored approach to partnerships and localised content, such as Jika Sports. Kiron is now not only looking at the gameplay, animation, graphics, commentary and bet markets, but also working with operator partners to ensure virtual products are positioned correctly. Ultimately, Kiron, like many others in the African industry want to see the virtuals market here thrive - and it is taking every step possible to make it a main contender on the global stage.