South Africa has taken the top spot as Africa’s leading betting nation, surpassing Kenya, which has seen a drop in gambling activity, according to GeoPoll’s “Betting in Africa 2025” report.
After two years of leading the continent, Kenya now ranks third, with 79% of respondents reporting they’ve placed bets, behind South Africa at 90% and Uganda at 87%. Nigeria follows at 71%, with Ghana and Tanzania tied at 56%.
The report, based on a survey of 4,191 youths across six Sub-Saharan countries, shows weekly betting activity is rising, with 35% betting weekly. However, daily betting has slightly declined.
Mobile phones dominate as the primary betting tool, with 91% using them, a trend reinforced by Kenya’s high mobile and internet penetration—where smartphone use now stands at 80.5%.
Football remains the top betting choice at 61%, followed by the digital game Aviator (19%), and basketball (6%).
In Kenya, most gamblers (57%) spend under $10 monthly. Meanwhile, regulators are pushing for stricter gambling controls through the proposed Gambling Control Bill, now in parliamentary mediation.
