AFCON 2025 is going to be one of the most important football events of the year, not only in Africa but around the world. Starting on December 21, 2025, the tournament will welcome 24 teams to Morocco and will have millions of fans from around the world. Apart from just watching the best teams in Africa, many people will also want to bet on them. That’s why Efirbet South Africa decided to take a good look at how African sportsbooks are preparing for the tournament.
Platform and Product Upgrades
AFCON 2025 will feature Africa’s top football teams, so it is no surprise that it will attract a large number of people. Online bookmakers know that and are aware that bettors enjoy watching live matches and placing bets on them. As a result, we expect companies expand their live betting markets for every AFCON match.
Aside from the classics like Match Winner, bookmakers will also provide many other markets. The list includes options such as Next Goal Scorer, Corners, Bookings, Player Shots on Target, and other key metrics. We also expect to see faster in-play odds updates. Thanks to third-party companies that provide data, bookmakers can ensure minimal delay between the action and its impact on the options people find on the betting site.
Since the AFCON will be during the holiday season, bookmakers can expect a significant increase in traffic compared to usual. This means that companies will try to deploy auto-scaling servers and load-balancing systems that prevent crashes and slowdowns during peak match hours. Needless to say, this is one of the worst things that can happen to an online bookie.
Of course, online bookmakers will also ensure their apps and mobile sites are functioning properly. African bettors are known to be multi-device users, and some prefer using a “lite” version of popular apps. They allow them to place a bet in a matter of seconds.
Updated Payment Options
One of the drawbacks of using some online bookmakers is that not all of them offer fast payments. Instant deposits and withdrawals are definitely a must and we can see how some operators in South Africa, for example, have stepped up their game and improved the process drastically. They added new payment options, such as PayShap, which has become incredibly popular.
Many African bookies offer various mobile payment options, including M-Pesa, MTN MoMo, and Airtel Money, and we expect to see them continue to expand. Some of the top betting sites also utilize intelligent routing to automatically select the fastest and most cost-effective payment option for their customers.
All of this is key because, as we said, AFCON 2025 will be over the Christmas and New Year holidays. As we know, this is the time of the year when a lot of people take vacations, so banks will have reduced staffing.
Odds, Data and Personalization
Many African bookmakers operate in many countries around the continent. They know that local bettors are interested in specific things, so we expect to see localized odds models. For example, traders are adjusting pricing algorithms to reflect African football patterns better.
South Africa is one of the largest markets in Africa, and locals are interested in markets such as Both Teams to Score, Player Performance, and Goal Markets. Bookies know that and will try to offer them all the time.
Speaking of personalization, we would not be surprised if many of the big bookmakers in South Africa implement AI. The new tech allows sites to provide personalized content, such as AI-curated bet suggestions that increase engagement and ticket size. We also expect to see special kinds of bonuses.
Of course, we must also mention data transparency. As many companies have raised awareness about match-fixing, betting sites will display integrity partner badges and even promote Fair Play betting.
Marketing and Customer Acquisition
Marketing plays a crucial role in online betting, as sites invest significant resources in acquiring new customers. Since AFCON is such a big event and will attract even more people, we expect sites to step up their game and provide localized campaigns. Don’t be surprised to see national-team imagery in online ads and app splash screens. Additionally, many operators offer team-specific promotions.
Another thing we expect to see when it comes to promoting AFCON 2025 betting is the use of different influencers and content marketing strategies. Many companies will start creating content for social media platforms and even partner with prominent influencers. The short, mobile-first content usually drives high conversions during tournaments, so expect a lot of reels and TikToks.
Compliance, Privacy & Safer Gambling
Due to the popularity of AFCON, people will attempt to access various sports betting platforms. While most of them will be legal because they will operate with a license, some won’t tick these boxes. That’s why we expect the gambling authorities in each country to step up their game and monitor what’s going on.
Alongside that, we also believe that many regulators will simply require sites to be more careful when handling personal information. For example, South Africa’s Protection of Personal Information Act demands betting sites to secure explicit consent for email/SMS campaigns.
Responsible gambling is another hot topic that will definitely be addressed. We expect to see a lot of in-app budget tools, time-out options, and holiday reminder pop-ups. All of these measures will demonstrate to regulators that sites are doing their best to protect players during the AFCON hype.
Bonuses That Will Dominate AFCON 2025
Regardless of what you want to bet on, the reality is that you will most likely want to use some kind of bonuses. Bookmakers are well aware of this and will likely offer various deals for AFCON 2025.
We expect to see a wide array of options, such as the Bet & Get free bets that can provide extra cash after wagering. Cash Out insurance is another common deal that we expect to see, as well as different ACCA boosts. They will increase the odds when wagering on more than one team or player.
To promote their platforms and attract new customers, we also expect these sites to offer various referral rewards. The invite-a-friend bonus is well-known in the industry and often provides good rewards.
Outside of that, bookies will also offer the usual odds boost, no deposit bonuses, and even cashback. The latter are mostly prevalent among online casinos, but many bookmakers have also started offering them.
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Tech and Security
African betting sites will be deploying an elastic server cluster so they can scale automatically when traffic surges. However, outside of that, the sites will also strive to enhance the overall security of their platforms.
Since AFCON is such a large event, it will likely attract many new clients, which in turn will also draw cyberattacks. That’s why we expect to see stronger 2FA logins, session alerts and even device-binding features. The goal of all of them is to protect accounts from fraud. It is also possible to see different facial ID verification that will confirm withdrawals on mobile apps.
If some sites want to take things to the next level, they can also utilize RegTech. These tools are designed for compliance, automatically verifying IDs and checking various self-exclusion lists. The latter are common in many countries, and operators who allow these kinds of players to access the sites could face severe penalties.
Customer Support & User Experience
The final point we would like to address is related to customer support and user experience. To address the numerous questions, sites will provide 24/7 multilingual customer support.
Alongside English, bookies in specific countries will try to allow people to communicate in the local languages. This includes Swahili, French, Arabic and more. Of course, we also expect to see at least a couple of AI-driven chatbots that will handle the FAQs.
In addition to the live chat and email, we would not be surprised if sites also add a phone number. This has proven to be one of the most effective ways of helping users with various problems. The only downside is that sites need to have at least a few lines because they will always be occupied.
Conclusion
No one can deny that AFCON 2025 is shaping up to be more than just the continent’s largest football tournament. It will bring together the continent’s finest, making it the ultimate proving ground for the continent’s online sports betting industry.
As we’ve seen, bookmakers will do everything possible to meet clients’ demands. Tournaments like this one help some brands cement themselves as the go-to option for local players. Consequently, we expect to see numerous innovations across various departments.
