Sasha Boerma on Gaming Innovation and Gender Balance in Africa’s iGaming Industry
Sasha Boerma, Commercial Director for Africa at Split the Pot, shared her journey, the importance of cultural nuance, and why women’s voices are vital in gaming, while speaking to iGaming AFRIKA during the AGE Lagos 2025 Conference.
Drawing from her experience in the African market, she explained that traditional casino-style offerings often fall short in regions where mobile data is expensive and player preferences lean toward simpler, culturally relevant experiences. Recognizing this, Sasha Boerma emphasized the importance of developing gaming products that authentically reflect the realities of players in Africa, particularly the youth.
“There weren’t games for the African market that were looking at the low data and the simplicity. The fact that a lot of youth don’t want to play traditional casino games. They want to play crash games, simplistic things with cultural nuances that speak to them,” she said. Split the Pot, according to Boerma, stepped into this space with a fresh and localized approach that’s proven to be innovative and inclusive.
African markets are diverse, not just in culture, but in regulation. Sasha Boerma points out the need for creativity in navigating advertising restrictions, especially in markets like South Africa and Nigeria, where rules vary significantly. “You need local teams to understand that,” she advised. “Nigeria is completely different to South Africa. We cannot speak to us all the same.” She further highlighted how marketing strategies in Nigeria, for instance, rely heavily on grassroots and agent-based models instead of traditional online affiliate methods. This requires a deep understanding of local dynamics, something that European companies often underestimate.
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With more than half of casino players being women, Sasha Boerma strongly advocated for greater female representation in the gaming industry. “If you don’t have a 50% workforce that’s female, you’re not speaking to the majority of your players,” she said. “You can’t have a bunch of men try to speak to 50% of the player base. That’s not going to work.” She called for a balanced approach, where the strengths of both men and women are equally valued and represented, especially in leadership and decision-making roles.
While the rest of the world rushes toward AI integration, Sasha Boerma is cautiously optimistic about its role in African iGaming. She notes that a lack of localized digital content and reliable translations has limited the effectiveness of AI tools, particularly in player communication. “There isn’t enough content online about gaming specifically in the local languages,” she said. “Even online, you need proper chat agents, you need proper people doing translations.” Nonetheless, she sees potential in areas like player behavior analysis and automation but stresses that, for now, human connection remains key.
