While Africa has become a growing focus for affiliates, tightening regulations are raising new questions. How should the industry move forward and navigate the uncertainty? David Suslik, head of sales at Livesport, shares how the brand tailors its products to local bettors’ needs beyond just SEO and content and why he still sees massive opportunities in the region.
David Suslik’s journey into the iGaming world started early. While still studying for a business degree in his Czech hometown, he began writing for a few local affiliate sites and served as the site editor for one of the country’s highest division ice hockey clubs.
Fresh out of uni and at just 20 years old, Suslik got a job offer to work for a Betway Group brand in Malta. Knowing nothing about the country nor much about the industry, Suslik accepted the offer as a leap of faith.
Moving to Malta was a big unknown, but it paid off
“It was quite a rushed decision, just before Christmas in 2010. My mum was freaking out because I’m an only child and her only child was moving to Malta all of a sudden,” he laughs.
After a few years bouncing between Malta and London, Suslik joined Livesport Media in 2015 and finally settled on the buzzing iGaming theme land. A “big unknown” at first, he now sees the move as a spontaneous step that not only gave him a laid-back lifestyle but also the chance to connect with international industry colleagues – a crucial part of his current role as the group’s global head of sales.
Africa: community-driven betting boom
Founded in 2006 by Martin Hájek and Jiří Mareš in Prague, Livesport provides news and data for 38 sports across over 50 countries. Suslik oversees the company’s international portfolio, including the flagship brand Flashscore, which boasts 24 million monthly active users, with its app downloaded 180 million times.
One of the company’s latest focuses is Africa. In PartnerMatrix’s affiliate traffic updates, Livesport’s domain soccer24.com has been steadily topping the region’s sports traffic. In April 2025 alone, the site generated 2,147,547 clicks in South Africa and 173,117 clicks in Zimbabwe.
African users are more likely to be part of betting communities and often get tips from third-party services or social media
According to Suslik, what draws Livesport to the continent is its community-focused betting culture. Compared to other parts of the world, Suslik observes that African users are “more inclined to follow betting tips and services”. They are also more likely to be part of betting communities and receive tips from third-party services or tipsters on social media.
Although African bettors usually place smaller bets, Suslik says their mass volumes and the habit of “betting on many individual events at once” largely compensate for the lower player value. With ongoing economic developments in the region and a growing young bettor base, he has no doubt that the market will mature rapidly over the next decade.
No one-size-fits-all
In terms of localisation, Suslik suggests that affiliates should treat each African country as a different market, devising content strategies based on local bettors’ needs. Flashscore currently has standalone domains for South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana, which allow the brand to carry out country-specific activities on social media.
“In each country, we look for locally licensed betting brands. Based on a user’s geolocation, we show odds and banners from those local brands,” Suslik says. “We actively discuss betting patterns with our partners. Since bookmakers are the ones who see how people are betting, we can learn from those discussions and optimise both our content and product behaviour.”
Our partners’ reliability is key – in terms of paperwork, communication and payment morale.
However, selecting the right partnership hasn’t come without hurdles. Despite the presence of many brands in each market, finding reliable partnerships requires careful vetting. Working on a revenue share model that “takes a while to pay off”, Suslik says his team always prefers long-term collaborations. The quality of local brands’ affiliate platforms also matters.
“Some African bookmakers still use legacy systems rather than modern affiliate platforms, which makes it harder for us to track data tied to specific features on our website. That tracking is crucial because we rely on data analysis to draw conclusions and improve our products,” he explains.
A lighter path into Africa
Livesport’s localisation strategies go beyond content to accommodate users’ technical requirements. While many African countries are experiencing a mobile boom, internet connections are usually slow and mobile data is often limited.
In response, the Flashscore team developed a Lite product line for mobile users, with Flashscore.mobi being the most well-known. Compared to the flagship version, Suslik introduces that the alternative service “doesn’t use much data, loads faster and delivers live scores more quickly”, helping to capture a large portion of the brand’s African traffic.
The Flashscore Lite product line doesn’t use much data, loads faster and delivers live scores more quickly. It helped us capture a large portion of the African market
But the very simplicity that makes Flashscore Lite successful also imposes limitations. “We can't fit the same amount of content and betting features into the light service as we can with the main product,” Suslik acknowledges.
“We’re gradually encouraging users to transition to our main platform, but only when they're ready. That means when users have faster internet and unlimited data, then we prompt them to switch,” he adds.
A bright future with diversification
Looking ahead, Suslik remains optimistic about Africa's trajectory: “It’s very clear that African markets will continue to grow rapidly. There will be lots of technological developments, especially around mobile.”
That said, he also advises caution and says the iGaming sector “will see a lot of regulatory instability and changes” in the region. Kenya, for example, recently barred influencers from promoting gambling brands after a 30-day ad ban, prompting backlash from the local industry.
We’ll see a lot of regulatory instability and changes. That’s why diversification will definitely pay off
“This is why diversification will definitely pay off. Livesport isn’t focusing on just one African market – we are trying to reach as much of the region as possible. If one market experiences regulatory issues, we can balance that out with performance in others,” Suslik says.
Alongside developing in-house brands, Livesport is also expanding its portfolio through acquisitions. Last November, the company acquired BeSoccer, a major sportsbook affiliate with a strong presence in Africa. It is also optimising other acquired brands, building the “right packages for partners and offering them the most compelling digital marketing mix”.
The summer between international tournaments is normally a lull period in the football calendar, but with the newly formatted FIFA Club World Cup having just concluded in the US, Suslik remains optimistic about the region’s betting interest ahead of hosting next summer’s FIFA World Cup with Mexico and Canada. In a fast-paced industry, challenges persist, but new opportunities are always waiting to be explored. Suslik is confident in leading Livesport’s global expansion with the same adventurous mindset that first led him to Malta and into iGaming 15 years ago.