{"id":10084,"date":"2025-10-08T09:48:31","date_gmt":"2025-10-08T12:48:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/?p=10084"},"modified":"2026-04-19T13:09:04","modified_gmt":"2026-04-19T16:09:04","slug":"anastasiia-shcherbyna-melbet-partners-affiliates-in-african-countries-its-trust-from-the-audience-that-matters-far-more-than-global-recognition-or-numerous-awards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/anastasiia-shcherbyna-melbet-partners-affiliates-in-african-countries-its-trust-from-the-audience-that-matters-far-more-than-global-recognition-or-numerous-awards","title":{"rendered":"Anastasiia Shcherbyna, MelBet Partners & Affiliates: \u201cIn African countries, it\u2019s trust from the audience that matters far more than global recognition or numerous awards\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Anastasiia Shcherbyna, CMO of MelBet Partners & Affiliates, shared insights about plans, strategies, and the region’s prospects for 2025\/26.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Exclusive interview.- Africa is no longer the \u201cmarket of the future\u201d for igaming \u2013 it is the market of the present. A young mobile audience, widespread local payment methods, and a strong sports culture create a sustainable funnel for betting and simple gaming formats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For MelBet Partners & Affiliates<\/a>, the region has long been a priority for the coming years. We interviewed Anastasiia Shcherbyna<\/strong> (CMO of MelBet Partners & Affiliates) and she shared insights about plans, strategies, and the region\u2019s future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About the African market<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Why has Africa become one of the priority regions for MelBet Partners & Affiliates today?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are several factors at play here. Sport in Africa is a part of the local culture and everyday life. People live and breathe football and athletics, passionately support their local clubs, and never miss the European leagues either. The audience is highly engaged with sports and tournaments. Let\u2019s not forget that Africa has given the world a huge number of legendary athletes: Mohamed Salah, Samuel Eto\u2019o, Didier Drogba, Kamaru Usman, and many others. They are national heroes, and people stand behind them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The target audience is young, active, and continues to grow year after year. Add to that the rapid digitalisation and increasing internet accessibility, and you\u2019ve got the perfect market \u2014 one that many are still overlooking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes African markets like C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire and Senegal unique from an igaming perspective?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The uniqueness lies in the combination of several factors. First, language and culture. Both countries belong to the Francophone cluster, where French localisation of interfaces, communication, and creatives is essential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second, the role of reputation and trust among the audience. In many countries, people don\u2019t rely as much on their close circle or word-of-mouth recommendations as they do here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Third, the role of sports in society. I\u2019ve already mentioned how important it is and how deeply it\u2019s woven into the local culture and history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What factors make C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire and Senegal particularly promising for partners?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scale and timing. Both countries are growing in terms of population and digitalisation. Competition is still very low, and the audience, if not overheated, is definitely very warm. The main task for partners is not to miss the right moment to enter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s what we\u2019re seeing now: reasonable acquisition costs, quick conversion to first deposit, short funnels, and real potential to increase LTV.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About growth strategies<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What role does product localisation (including payment methods, language, and content) play in C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire and Senegal?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To put it briefly, a key role. Without localisation, a product neither converts nor retains users. Without adapting your materials, the audience simply won\u2019t accept your product. There are three core aspects: payment methods, language, and content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You must add local payment options so the user feels comfortable and doesn\u2019t drop off at the deposit stage. For these countries, integrating Orange Money, MTN, and Wave is a must.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do I even need to explain how important it is to provide materials in the user\u2019s native language? I don\u2019t think so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We always tailor content to local traditions, laws, cultural nuances, and even memes. The player needs to see something familiar and relatable in your promo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RevShare or CPA: Which partnership models show the best results in Africa?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Look, two models \u2014 two different approaches. I understand that everyone chooses what suits them best and aligns with their strategy. Personally, I always prefer Rev-share. I focus on the long term (which, I think, is clear from MelBet Partners & Affiliates<\/a>\u2018 overall strategy), so I recommend Rev-share. This model honestly reflects the value of the traffic: the partner earns when the player actually plays, not just when they make a one-time deposit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, I\u2019m not against CPA. It\u2019s a great way to quickly test hypotheses and generate fast cash flow. We do everything possible to make it convenient and profitable for our partners to work with us \u2014 that\u2019s why we offer personalised partnership terms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About the value for partners<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s the key difference between MelBet\u2019s partnership strategy and that of other market players?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We work with a long-term perspective \u2014 we don\u2019t just make promises, we deliver. If you review my posts and talks, you\u2019ll see that I\u2019ve consistently emphasised the importance of developing a long-term strategy. We\u2019re not in a rush. Step by step, we\u2019re steadily building trust in our product, tailoring our approach to different markets, and providing our partners with the best conditions and tools to succeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you consider the main factor for long-term success for partners in C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire and Senegal?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trust, trust, and once again \u2014 trust at every stage of interaction. In African countries, it\u2019s trust from the audience that matters far more than global recognition or numerous awards. If your product is recommended by friends or people they know, that\u2019s when you have a real chance to establish yourself in the GEO. Communities rely heavily on word-of-mouth and real experiences \u2014 and one bad case spreads fast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About the future<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

How do you see the future development of African igaming?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first thing I\u2019d highlight is the \u2018maturing\u2019 of legalisation and regulation. It\u2019s still far from perfect, but I\u2019m glad the process is underway. It is crucial for both the market and the industry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second \u2014 product diversification. It includes fast gaming formats tailored to mobile sessions, improved KYC\/AML processes, and personalised communication. Demographics and smartphone popularity aren\u2019t going anywhere \u2014 these are long-term growth drivers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does MelBet plan to expand its presence in other African countries, building on the experience of Senegal and C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, we\u2019re actively working on this now.  African countries will be our primary focus for the next few years. Our goal isn\u2019t just to \u2018be present\u2019 in the region \u2014 we want to become a benchmark for others. Step by step, we\u2019re strengthening our presence in several countries, building trust-based relationships, integrating into local culture and media, and then we\u2019ll look to scale into other markets. Naturally, we\u2019re adapting all our processes to comply with local laws and regulatory norms. Since regulation is still in its early stages here, it\u2019s shaping and adjusting our strategies accordingly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Anastasiia Shcherbyna, CMO of MelBet Partners & Affiliates, shared insights about plans, strategies, and the region’s prospects for 2025\/26.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":176,"featured_media":10086,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"is_press_release":false,"is_interview":true,"is_opinion":false,"focusai_summary":"Anastasiia Shcherbyna, CMO of MelBet Partners & Affiliates, details the company's strategic focus on the African iGaming market, particularly C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire and Senegal. The analysis highlights the region's potential driven by a young, mobile-first audience, strong sports culture, and the critical role of product localization, including local payment methods and culturally relevant content, for successful market penetration and long-term value generation.","focusai_entities":"Anastasiia Shcherbyna, MelBet Partners & Affiliates, Mohamed Salah, Samuel Eto\u2019o, Didier Drogba, Kamaru Usman, Orange Money, MTN, Wave","focusai_location":"Africa, C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire, Senegal","focusai_target_profile":"ceo_executive (1.0), regulator (0.7), compliance_legal (0.7), operator_casino (1.0), affiliate_publisher (1.0), product_ux (1.0), tech_data (0.8), marketing_crm (1.0), payments_fraud_aml (1.0), investor_analyst (1.0), supplier_vendor (1.0), journalist_researcher (1.0)","focusai_suggestions":[{"label":"Payment Integration Challenges?","query":"Given the emphasis on local payment methods, what specific challenges has MelBet encountered in integrating these systems across diverse African regulatory and banking infrastructures?"},{"label":"Content Adaptation ROI?","query":"Beyond language and payment localization, what specific cultural nuances or content adaptations have yielded the highest uplift in player engagement and retention in Francophone African markets?"}],"footnotes":""},"categories":[60301],"tags":[60396],"class_list":["post-10084","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interviews","tag-melbet-partners-affiliates"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10084","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/176"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10084"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10084\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10145,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10084\/revisions\/10145"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10086"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10084"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10084"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10084"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}