Altenar is ready to do business with iGaming brands in South Africa after acquiring a license to operate in the country.
A National Manufacturer license 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 excited to receive our license to supply our sportsbook solution in South Africa. It's another significant step for us globally and is a key target market where we aim 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 includes core sports such as soccer and racing, as well as offering customers the flexibility to prioritize key local content and sports via our highly adaptable UI/UX.
We also offer a variety of ways to support seamless cross-sell between products—which, in a market like South Africa where all verticals are popular—will position us and our customers for long-term success.
We look forward to the future in South Africa and the broader African market.
Sam Hill, Sales Director at Altenar
The license is the first that Altenar has acquired in a regulated market in Africa and places the company in a strong position to expand into other territories on 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-standing tradition when it comes to gambling, and the Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board helps define the licensing structure that other African countries are likely to follow.
There will be synergies from this application that will help us apply for licenses in other African countries that adopt a similar approach.
Magno Neiva, Altenar’s Head of Licensing and Regulatory Compliance
Information database bodes well for the future
Neiva oversaw the application process and reflected on both the benefits and challenges of acquiring a license 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 license in South Africa was very similar to some U.S. states. The approach that the WCGRB takes is that every applicant—identified by the WCGRB—must fill out 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 their full history for the past decade or more.
“The due diligence process went deeper than any other country, even the United States.
We would never have been able to obtain this license without the support of our main stakeholders, because they were willing to undergo a high level of personal scrutiny from a foreign regulator.”
While that may have made the process a tougher task, Neiva believes it places Altenar in a strong position when it comes to future license applications.
“The process for South Africa has allowed us to build a very good database of the information we need for any applications that are complicated and may require more paperwork,” he added. “We have gained knowledge and awareness that we did not previously have, and we are now in a much better place for future applications that require comprehensive disclosure.
“This license 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 license we attained for Africa was in a place where there is a very famous cape that was once called the Cape of Storms and is now called the 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.
