Atanas Tanev for Efirbet ZA
Hello! My name is Atanas Tanev, and I am the founder and Managing Director of Websa Ltd. I have more than 12 years of experience in developing digital businesses, iGaming affiliate marketing, SEO, performance marketing and international business development.
Today, my main role at Websa focuses on the strategic direction of the company – developing our existing projects such as Nostrabet.com, Efirbet.com, Silentbet.com, and Betenemy.bg, entering new markets, building long-term international partnerships, and identifying sustainable growth models.
South Africa is one of the international markets where we have expanded Efirbet, and it is a good example of how our approach to international development works in practice. Entering a new market is not simply a matter of translating an existing website. It requires understanding the local industry, competition, users and regulatory environment before deciding how the product should develop.
My Role at Websa
As Managing Director of Websa, I am responsible for the long-term direction of the company and key decisions related to the development of both the business and its projects.
One of my main responsibilities is identifying new opportunities for growth. This involve entering a new market, further developing an existing brand, creating a new product or changing the way we reach our users.
I take part in evaluating new business opportunities, setting priorities and developing sustainable models for growth and monetisation. When making these decisions, I look not only at short-term potential but also at whether a project can be developed and scaled successfully over the long term.
An important part of my work is building relationships with international partners in the iGaming industry. My experience in affiliate and digital marketing allows me to evaluate different partnership models and their long-term value to the business.
As part of the company’s management, I also coordinate the interaction between SEO, content, product development and business development so that individual teams and projects remain aligned with Websa’s overall strategy.
Developing Efirbet in South Africa
South Africa is one of the markets where our international experience has been especially important.
When evaluating the market, we look at much more than its overall size or potential traffic. The competitive environment, local operators, regulatory framework, user behaviour, payment preferences, and the types of betting products people use all influence the way Efirbet South Africa develops.
My role is to look at these factors from a business perspective and determine how they fit into the long-term development of the project.
This includes evaluating whether the market offers sustainable opportunities, how Efirbet should position itself, which areas of the product deserve further investment and how the South African version fits into our broader international strategy.
For me, localisation is not simply about changing language, currency or individual pieces of content. A successful international project needs to understand how users behave, what their interests are and what we can contribute to their overall experience.
Developing Digital Brands and International Markets
A large part of my professional experience is connected to creating, developing and scaling our own online projects.
At Websa, we have built a portfolio of brands including Nostrabet.com, Efirbet.com, Silentbet.com, Betenemy.bg and Bookmakers.bg. These projects target different audiences and markets, which means each of them requires an approach based on its competitive environment, user behaviour and local characteristics.
When evaluating a new market, I look at the competitive landscape, opportunities for attracting users through organic and paid channels, potential partnerships and possible monetisation models.
South Africa illustrates this approach well. It has its own competitive landscape, local betting brands and regulatory specifics, so decisions that work for another Efirbet market cannot simply be transferred without considering the local environment.
We use the same principle both when developing existing projects and when assessing opportunities to create a new brand, product or market version.
My Expertise in SEO, Affiliate and Performance Marketing
SEO and affiliate marketing have been part of my professional experience since the beginning of my career.
Between 2007 and 2013, I worked on both my own and client affiliate projects across different product niches. My experience included SEO, building and monetising websites, and managing digital marketing campaigns.
Between 2013 and 2015, I was Co-Founder of Webso Ltd, a company specialising in web development and digital marketing. During this period, I worked on SEO, website development, WordPress and Joomla solutions, online advertising and business development. I was involved in the SEO optimisation of more than 40 projects.
This experience continues to be directly relevant to my work today. I see SEO, affiliate marketing, paid advertising and product development as interconnected parts of a digital business rather than separate activities.
I am also a regular attendee of international iGaming conferences, including iGB and SiGMA events in cities such as London, Barcelona, Amsterdam and Malta. I value these opportunities to meet people from across the global industry, exchange ideas and follow developments that may influence our business and the markets in which we operate.
When we evaluate a project or market such as South Africa, I believe it is important to answer several questions from the beginning – how we will reach users, what value we can offer them, how the product should develop and whether it can become sustainable over the long term.
Professional Background
My professional journey in digital marketing began in 2007, when I started developing affiliate projects and working independently in SEO, website development and online advertising.
Between 2007 and 2013, I worked on numerous client and proprietary online projects across different product niches. This gave me practical experience with the entire process – from building a website and attracting an audience to monetising it.
In 2013, I became Co-Founder of Webso Ltd. The company specialised in web development and digital marketing, while my responsibilities focused on SEO, developing web projects, online advertising and business development.
The next stage of my career was connected to founding and developing Websa Ltd. Over time, our focus expanded towards building proprietary digital brands, entering international markets and establishing a stronger presence in the iGaming industry.
Today, my main priority is the long-term development of the company – both through the growth of our existing projects and through new products, markets and international partnerships.
Education
I graduated from Hristo Danov Secondary School in Plovdiv in 2005, with a focus on Informatics and Information Technology.
I then continued my education at Plovdiv University “Paisii Hilendarski”, where I earned a Bachelor’s degree in Informatics in 2011.
In 2012, I completed a Master’s degree in Marketing Psychology, also at Plovdiv University.
The combination of technical education and marketing knowledge has provided a natural foundation for my professional path. It helps me understand both the technological side of digital products and the way users discover, evaluate and interact with them.
