South Africa overtakes Kenya as top gambling nation in Africa
GeoPoll’s 2025 report reveals shifting trends in Africa’s gambling habits. Mobile tech is fueling a betting boom, and South Africa is leading the charge.
South Africa.- After two consecutive years at the top, Kenya has lost its title as Africa’s leading gambling nation. South Africa has leapfrogged to the number one spot in a dramatic shift revealed by GeoPoll’s newly released Betting in Africa 2025 survey.
The study, published in April 2025, was carried out across six sub-Saharan nations. The survey revealed that 90 per cent of South African respondents have placed a bet. Ugandans stood at 87 per cent and Kenyans at 79 per cent. Nigeria took fourth place with 71 per cent, while Ghana and Tanzania held 56 per cent each.
This decline in Kenya’s dominance comes amid fresh calls for tighter regulation in the nation’s gambling sector, which has long been the subject of key national debate. In 2022 and 2024, Kenya topped the betting charts with betting participation rates of 83.9 per cent and 82.8 per cent, respectively.
Why has the trend changed?
Mobile phones remain the undisputed gateway to betting across Africa. An astonishing 91 per cent of respondents who gamble said they use mobile phones to place bets, highlighting the influence of mobile tech on gambling behaviour.
Kenya, with its deep mobile and internet penetration, remains a key example. According to the Communications Authority Q2 report for 2024/25, the country had over 72 million mobile devices connected to networks, with smartphones now reaching 80.5 per cent penetration.
The report found that in Kenya, 57 per cent of bettors spend under $10 (Sh1,296) per month, while 6 per cent spend between $50 and $100. A small but notable 3 per cent spend upwards of $500 (Sh64,825).
The numbers by GeoPoll
The 2025 findings show a slight increase in weekly betting, with 35 per cent of respondents now gambling once a week. At least 22 per cent reported betting once a month, while 20 per cent do so less than once a month. Daily betting has seen a modest decline, with 14 per cent betting once a day and nine per cent placing bets more than once a day.
Football continues to dominate Africa’s betting culture. Sixty-one per cent of respondents say they primarily bet on football matches. Meanwhile, Aviator, a high-speed crash game, is quickly catching on, with 19 per cent naming it as their go-to option. Basketball trails behind at just 6 per cent.
With the gambling landscape shifting and mobile-driven betting gaining ground, Africa’s betting boom is evolving, and Kenya is no longer leading the charge.
