{"id":1083,"date":"2025-04-17T06:24:52","date_gmt":"2025-04-17T09:24:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/?p=1083"},"modified":"2026-04-19T17:43:18","modified_gmt":"2026-04-19T20:43:18","slug":"gaborone-to-host-betting-igaming-africa-summit-big-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/gaborone-to-host-betting-igaming-africa-summit-big-2026","title":{"rendered":"Gaborone to host Betting &amp; iGaming Africa Summit (BiG) 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Botswana will welcome top global gaming minds in February 2026 as the BiG Africa Summit gets underway with a hard-hitting agenda and industry-shaping awards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<p>Botswana.- In 2026, Botswana&#8217;s capital Gaborone will transform into the epicentre of the 12th annual <strong>Betting &amp; iGaming (BiG) Africa Summit<\/strong>. Delegates will have four days from 16 to 19 February of cutting-edge conversations, technology showcases, and a glimpse into the future of <strong>regulated gaming<\/strong> across Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since its 2014 inception, the BiG Africa Summit has grown from a modest gathering into a must-attend event for C-level executives, innovators, regulators, and thought leaders across Africa and beyond. More than just a conference, BiG is now a pulsating hub of insights, networking, innovation, and industry recognition, each year elevating the stakes for what&#8217;s possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The powerhouse agenda<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The event kicks off on 16 February with an Affiliate Workshop and welcoming reception, setting the tone for what&#8217;s to come. One 17 and 18 February, delegates will dive into a full conference and expo schedule featuring the industry&#8217;s sharpest minds. Speakers include the likes of Alwin Matthews from the <strong>Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board,<\/strong> Amina Nduna from <strong>World Sports Betting<\/strong>, and Antonio Manuel of <strong>Angola&#8217;s Gambling Authority<\/strong>. The conference wraps with the BiG Africa Summit Eventus Awards 2026, before a farewell dinner and an Excursion to end things off on the 19th. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Attendees will gain deep insight into Africa&#8217;s ever-evolving gaming climate, explore next-gen tec and payment solutions, and rub shoulders with the region&#8217;s most influential decision-makers. It&#8217;s not just a networking event, it&#8217;s a launchpad for growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Celebrating excellence: the BiG Eventus Awards<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In true BiG style, the <strong>2026 Eventus Awards<\/strong> will shine a spotlight on excellence in African iGaming. Five dynamic categories will honour the trailblazers in: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ubuntu Leadership Award &#8211; for uplifting and ethical leadership<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Baobab Sustainability Award &#8211; for commitment to responsible gaming.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Shining Savannah Innovator Award &#8211; for tech-driven transformation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Zambezi Rising Star Award &#8211; for newcomers shaking up the scene.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Mufasa Speaker Excellence Award &#8211; for top conference speaker<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>With Africa&#8217;s digital gaming sector on a meteoric rise, BiG Africa Summit 2026 promises to be more than just an event, it&#8217;s where the continent&#8217;s gaming future is forged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"see-also-container\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"see-also-label\">See also:<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"related-article\">\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"related-article__thumbnail\" src=\"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/04\/B1-Gambling-Authory-head-office-in-Gaborone-300x200.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"related-article__text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"see-also-label-strong\">See also:<\/span> <a href='https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/sunbet-makes-history-as-botswanas-first-licensed-online-betting-operator'>Sunbet makes history as Botswana&#8217;s first licensed online betting operator<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Botswana will welcome top global gaming minds in February 2026 as the BiG Africa Summit gets underway with a hard-hitting agenda and industry-shaping awards.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2396,"featured_media":1090,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"is_press_release":false,"is_interview":false,"is_opinion":false,"focusai_summary":"The 12th annual BiG Africa Summit will convene in Gaborone, Botswana, from February 16-19, 2026, bringing together C-level executives, regulators, and industry innovators. The event will feature an extensive agenda covering regulatory insights, next-gen technology, payment solutions, and an Affiliate Workshop, culminating in the BiG Africa Summit Eventus Awards recognizing excellence in African iGaming. This summit is positioned as a critical platform for shaping the continent's rapidly expanding digital gaming future.","focusai_entities":"Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board, World Sports Betting, Angola\u2019s Gambling Authority, Sunbet, Alwin Matthews, Amina Nduna, Antonio Manuel","focusai_location":"Botswana, Gaborone, Africa, Angola","focusai_target_profile":"ceo_executive (0.95), regulator (0.95), compliance_legal (0.9), operator_casino (0.95), affiliate_publisher (0.9), product_ux (0.75), tech_data (0.9), marketing_crm (0.75), payments_fraud_aml (0.9), investor_analyst (0.95), supplier_vendor (0.95), journalist_researcher (0.9)","focusai_suggestions":[{"label":"Africa iGaming Growth","query":"What specific regulatory harmonisation efforts or market liberalisation initiatives are anticipated in key African jurisdictions that could accelerate GGR growth post-2026?"},{"label":"Tech & Payments Innovation","query":"Beyond current payment solutions, what emerging fintech innovations or blockchain applications are expected to be showcased that could significantly impact player acquisition and retention in African iGaming verticals?"}],"footnotes":""},"categories":[60161,60021],"tags":[60144,60145,60146],"class_list":["post-1083","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-big-africa-summit-2026","category-igaming-news","tag-betting-igaming-big-africa-summit","tag-regulated-gaming","tag-technology-showcases"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1083","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\/2396"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1083"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1083\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1262,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1083\/revisions\/1262"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1090"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1083"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1083"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1083"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}