Altenar is ready to do business with iGaming brands in South Africa after acquiring a licence to operate in the country.
A National Manufacturer licence has been issued by the Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board following a lengthy application process, adding to the list of regulated markets in which Altenar can offer its services.
Altenar is delighted to receive our licence to supply our sportsbook solution into South Africa. It's another significant step for us globally and is a key target market for us to further establish our product.
We're confident we have all the necessary product features and quality to offer the best solution on the market. This is across core sports such as football and racing, as well as offering customers the ease to prioritise key local content and sports via our highly flexible UI/UX.
There are also a variety of ways in how we support seamless cross-sell between products, which in a market such as South Africa, with the popularity of all verticals, will stand us and our customers in good stead.
We are looking forward to the future in South Africa and the wider African market.
Sam Hill, Sales Director at Altenar
The licence is the first that Altenar has acquired in a regulated market in Africa and positions the company in a strong position to expand into other territories in the continent as regulations are introduced.
South Africa is the country that sets the gold standard from a regulatory perspective. It is one of the few with the longest tradition when it comes to gambling and the Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board are the ones who help define the licensing structure that other African countries are likely to follow.
There will be synergies that come from this application which will help us apply for licences from other countries in Africa which adopt a similar approach.
Magno Neiva, Altenar’s Head of Licensing and Regulatory Compliance
Information database bodes well for future
Neiva oversaw the application process and reflected on both the benefits and challenges of acquiring a licence from the Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board.
“South Africa is one of the most developed countries in Africa and is English speaking, which made the application process much smoother,” he explained. “We also have partners in the region who were able to support the process and having a local presence helped a lot.
“The process to apply for a licence in South Africa was very similar to some US states. The approach that the WCGRB takes is that every applicant ‒ identified by the WCGRB ‒ must fill in a multi-jurisdictional personal form.
“Each country differs in the format but a multi-jurisdictional form usually has around 60-70 pages, and the form for South Africa specifically focused on our stakeholders needing to disclose all their life for the past decade or more.
“The due diligence process went deeper than any other country, even the United States.
We would never be able to obtain this licence without the support of our main stakeholders because they have been willing to pass by a high level of personal scrutiny to a foreign regulator.”
While that may have made the process a tougher task, Neiva believes it positions Altenar in a strong position when it comes to future licence applications.
“The process for South Africa has allowed us to build a very good database of the information that we need for any applications which are complicated and may require more paperwork,” he added. “We have gained knowledge and awareness that we did not already have, and we are now in a much better place for future applications which require a comprehensive disclosure.
“This licence is our gateway to Africa - it will really open the doors to any regulated African country. It has given us the knowledge and the contact points to be in the region so this is the first step for Altenar’s expansion in Africa.
“It is very interesting that the first licence we attained for Africa was in a place where there is a very famous cape that was called Cape of Storms and currently is called Cape of Good Hope, and we do expect that after passing the licensing storm, a hopeful future shines in Africa.”
To learn more about how Altenar can help you establish and grow your brand in South Africa, book a meeting with the team at ICE 2025 in Barcelona or get in touch through the company website.