As a continental gateway, South Africa has long been hailed as an iGaming launchpad for the wider region.
According to the latest figures, released in October, gross gaming revenue (GGR) from online betting was up an astonishing 60% year-on-year.
For Greentube, South Africa has provided fertile ground for growth since NOVOMATIC’s Digital Gaming and Entertainment division launched in the country last year – and arguably a blueprint for other market launches in 2026 and beyond.
So far, key metrics have exceeded expectations, according to Greentube sales and key account manager Razvan Glodea.
“For us, South Africa is really the introduction to the African market,” he says. “The plan is to expand further in the future, but for now the focus is fully on growing South Africa first, and then continuing from there.
“We already knew that players love our games because of the land-based connection with Novomatic, but we were still impressed by just how much they love them. We’re talking about millions of rounds.”
Strategic importance
For Greentube regional manager Andy Duschek, the strategic importance of the business’ presence in South Africa cannot be underestimated – particularly as it has helped to showcase the company’s new tech stack, Greentube Mynt.
“South Africa is one of the biggest African markets, so for us it’s very important to be there,” he says. “There are some really good, big operators, and it’s also the first market where we’ve completely rolled out on a new platform.
“What surprised us most wasn’t the stakes, but the volume. I don’t think we were the only provider who was surprised by how many rounds are being produced in South Africa. The population is big, and the amount of rounds we see there is incredibly high.”
Such a surge in popularity is obviously welcome, but also comes with inevitable challenges for online casino game providers. Greentube is harnessing its technology to address these issues.
Glodea adds: “The biggest challenge is that we’re working with a new platform and still need to add many more games. At the moment, the focus is on expanding the portfolio, so we’re moving very quickly to grow it.
“We’re already live with free spins on all games in South Africa, but more tools are coming. These tools will help us and our operators with better player retention going forward.”
Described by Greentube as “revolutionary”, the Greentube Mynt tech stack comprises several modules and engagement tools and is supported by a Remote Gaming Server. South Africa was the first regulated market where Greentube Mynt went live, providing a valuable proof point for operators in the country and beyond.
“Beyond free spins, we’ve also internally developed a tool called Bet Peak,” Glodea says. “Bet Peak is a smart promo reporting tool that looks at live game data (RTP, Spins, Volatility, Stakes, GGR, Actives) to spot which games are “heating up” right now. Instead of choosing titles at random, it flags the ones with the strongest momentum and enough player activity and engagement. This means promos are launched at the peak moment, giving players more excitement and casinos better results.
“Bet Peak picks the right games at the right time by spotting hot streaks in live data, so your promos hit when player engagement is highest.”
Leveraging NOVOMATIC’s network
Additionally, recognition has certainly played a part in Greentube’s early success in South Africa.
With NOVOMATIC having enjoyed an established land-based presence in South Africa for many years, Greentube launched its games for the first time in the country through a deal with Goldrush last April.
“One big advantage in South Africa is our close cooperation with Novomatic Africa,” Duschek says. “They already have strong connections with casinos across the country, and many of our online clients were already Novomatic clients on the land-based side.
“That made it much easier to build relationships. We’re working in tandem with Novomatic Africa to develop those partnerships and to collaborate on projects in the market.”
According to Duschek, it therefore made sense to kick things off with “the classics” – digital versions of Greentube slots and games that were already familiar to casino visitors.
“From a game perspective, we started with the classics,” he says. “We launched with blue-chip titles like ‘Lucky Lady’s Charm’ and other games that are well known from land-based casinos.
“The land-based connection is extremely important. Those Novomatic blue-chip games performed really well from the start because most players already know them from land-based casinos.”
Glodea adds: “At the moment, we’re still doing a lot of testing to see which games are working best. Based on that data, we’ll expand further and focus more strongly on the content types that really resonate with local players.”
South Africa’s gambling revenue totalled ZAR75 billion ($4.3 billion) in the 2024-25 financial year, illustrating the thriving gambling market both on an in-person and online basis.
With online gambling, mobile wagering is experiencing particularly sharp growth, with about eight out of every 10 bets placed via smartphones and tablets, reflecting South Africa’s high smartphone penetration.
In this context, Greentube is acutely aware of the importance of localising the offering – not only to maximise the engagement opportunity in each market, but also to ensure regulatory compliance.
“Before entering any market, we always work very closely with our compliance team,” Glodea says. “We really look at what’s necessary for that specific jurisdiction and make sure the platform, the games and the certification are fully fine-tuned to local regulations.”
At the same time, Duschek adds, there is a focus on how to create “local content that’s specific to the South African market”. He continues: “The idea is to grow first with what players already know, while also expanding the portfolio with existing games from other markets.”
Building in Bulgaria
Greentube has long been committed to establishing a truly international presence, with significant progress across the US as well as long-established and growing jurisdictions worldwide in recent years.
The next market on Greentube’s expansion roadmap is Bulgaria – a country that does not share obvious similarities with South Africa. Indeed, South Africa’s population is 10 times larger than Bulgaria’s, and the latter’s GDP per capita is nearly three times that of than the Rainbow Nation.
However, there are parallels that Greentube can leverage with its planned launch in the Eastern European country.
As a starting point, gambling has been regulated in both markets since the mid-1990s, producing a well-established industry. For Greentube, casino interest will therefore be expected to drive online appetite. Additionally, mobile penetration rates are high in both countries and – crucially – NOVOMATIC Bulgaria already has a foothold in the retail market, as it did in South Africa.
Glodea explains that Greentube enjoyed fruitful discussions at ICE 2026 in Barcelona last month.
“ICE helped us a lot by introducing us to new operators in Bulgaria and by supporting conversations around licensing,” he says. “The plan is to launch as soon as possible. That’s what we’re aiming for.”
Duschek adds: “Bulgaria is a really new market for us, but it has a lot of potential. Right now, we’re still in the discovery phase, figuring out how we want to build the market and how we’re going to enter. What’s already decided is that we will enter Bulgaria, and we will do so with our new platform.”
Greentube’s deployment of “the classics” in South Africa is also likely to be replicated in Bulgaria, providing a compelling hook for land-based players to explore online gambling.
“In Bulgaria, it’s going to be fruit games and the classics,” Glodea says. “Titles like ‘Book of Ra deluxe’ and other Novomatic classics will definitely bring the biggest GGR.”
Extensive experience
Greentube also has an established presence in the region. The company has extensive experience in neighbouring Romania, where its games have been attracting players since launching there nearly a decade ago. Last year, the company launched in Moldova.
“We also have experience launching in markets across that region, so in many ways the process will be quite similar,” Duschek says.
Glodea adds: “We expect it to be quite similar to Romania. A lot of Romanian operators are also active in Bulgaria, and we already have relationships with some of them.”
Looking ahead, Greentube’s barometer for success is clear, according to Duschek.“The main milestones for us are simple: more games in these markets and more tools,” he says.
With NOVOMATIC’s network across countries and continents, Greentube is keen to build a blueprint for success, on an international scale.
Sales and key account manager Razvan Glodea (left) with regional managerAndy Duschek
Original article: https://igamingbusiness.com/casino/greentube-south-africa-bulgaria-markets/
