Exclusive: Kevin Muema Discusses Affiliate Marketing Trends, Mobile Growth, and Partner Success in Africa
In a recent chat with iGaming AFRIKA Magazine, Kevin Muema, the Marketing Lead at DBBet, shared some valuable thoughts on the changing landscape of affiliate marketing in Africa. He emphasised the need for developing affiliate ecosystems that are scalable and built on trust, transparency, and compliance. Kevin also pointed out essential strategies, including localising approaches and prioritising mobile-first solutions, while addressing issues like fraud prevention and partner management. He believes operators can successfully merge ambitious growth with a focus on ethical practices and creating long-term value in our fast-paced digital world.
iGaming AFRIKA: Affiliate marketing thrives on relationships and trust. How do you ensure affiliates not only drive traffic but also represent the brand ethically and transparently?
Kevin Muema: Affiliate marketing is built on trust, so at DBBet, we focus on clear expectations, continuous communication, and accountability. First, we onboard affiliates with strict guidelines on brand positioning, responsible gaming, and compliance, so they clearly understand what ethical promotion looks like. Second, we maintain close relationships through regular check-ins, performance reviews, and open communication. This helps us guide partners, align on goals, and address any concerns early.
iGA: How has technology impacted affiliate marketing in Africa, especially with the rise of mobile devices and data-driven marketing?
Kevin Muema: Technology has significantly transformed affiliate marketing in Africa, especially with the rise of mobile usage. With most users accessing platforms via smartphones, affiliates now focus on mobile-first strategies- from optimised landing pages to app-based conversions and mobile payment integrations.
Data-driven marketing has also improved performance. Affiliates can now track user behaviour in real time, optimise campaigns, and target the right audience more accurately, leading to better conversion rates and ROI. Overall, technology has made affiliate marketing more efficient, targeted, and scalable across African markets.
iGA: You’re engaging younger demographics in African markets that are mobile-first and social. How do you tailor affiliate campaigns to resonate authentically with that audience?
Kevin Muema: To engage younger, mobile-first audiences, we focus on localisation, content style, and platform relevance. We work with relatable influencers and affiliates who understand the culture and communicate in an authentic, social tone, especially on platforms like TikTok, Telegram, Instagram, X and Facebook. Campaigns are designed to be mobile-first, with simple user journeys, fast-loading pages, and seamless payment options. We also leverage data insights to understand behaviour and tailor offers, content, and timing to what resonates most. Ultimately, it’s about being native to the audience, real content, real voices, and a smooth mobile experience.
iGaming AFRIKA: With your experience in digital marketing, what emerging trends do you believe will redefine affiliate engagement in Africa over the next few years?
Kevin Muema: From my experience in digital marketing, several key trends will redefine affiliate engagement in Africa over the next few years. First is AI and data-driven personalisation. Affiliates are moving beyond basic tracking to predictive analytics, understanding user behaviour and delivering highly targeted, personalised offers that significantly improve conversion and retention. Second is the dominance of mobile-first ecosystems. With over 70% of traffic coming from mobile, success will depend on fast, app-driven funnels, seamless payments, and content designed specifically for small screens. Third, we’re seeing a shift to micro-influencers and native social content. Platforms like TikTok, Telegram, and WhatsApp are driving a large share of conversions, with authentic, localised content outperforming traditional ads.
Another major trend is hyper- localisation using local languages, culture, and region-specific offers to increase engagement and trust across diverse African markets. Finally, affiliate marketing is evolving from pure acquisition to long-term partnership models focusing on player retention, lifetime value, and sustainable growth rather than just traffic volume. Overall, the future is about being data-driven, mobile-native, and locally relevant, while building deeper, long-term relationships with users.
iGaming AFRIKA: What are the key areas of focus for operators looking to implement affiliate marketing for the first time in Africa, and what challenges should they be aware of?
Kevin Muema: For operators entering affiliate marketing in Africa, the key areas of focus are localisation, partner selection, and tracking infrastructure. First, localisation is critical because markets differ widely, so operators must tailor offers, payment methods, and messaging to each country. Second, choosing the right affiliates is key. Working with trusted, experienced partners who understand local audiences ensures quality traffic and long-term growth. Third, having strong tracking and analytics systems in place is essential to monitor performance, prevent fraud, and optimise campaigns effectively.
In terms of challenges, one major issue is traffic quality and fraud, especially with inexperienced affiliates. There’s also regulatory variation across countries, which requires careful compliance. Additionally, payment limitations, market fragmentation, and trust-building with partners can slow down scaling if not handled properly.
iGA: Emerging markets often face fragmentation in payment systems, connectivity, and trust barriers. When launching affiliate campaigns in underpenetrated regions, what innovations or tactics have you found most effective at bridging those gaps?
Kevin: In underpenetrated markets, success comes from simplifying access, building trust, and localising deeply. On payments, we integrate mobile money solutions and offer flexible deposit options to match local habits. This removes one of the biggest conversion barriers.
To address connectivity challenges, we focus on lightweight, mobile-first funnels, fast-loading pages, low-data creatives, and app-based experiences that work even on slower networks. Trust is built through local influencers and community-driven channels like WhatsApp and Telegram. Users relate more to familiar voices than traditional ads. We also prioritise education-led marketing, simple onboarding guides, demos, and transparent messaging to help new users understand the product. Finally, using data and smart tracking, we quickly identify what works in each micro-market and adapt fast.
iGA: Affiliate fraud, mismatched traffic quality, and compliance risk are real challenges. What mechanisms have you put in place to preserve brand integrity while still pushing aggressive growth?
Kevin Muema: To balance aggressive growth with brand integrity, we at DBBet focus on strict control, smart monitoring, and selective scaling. First, we implement rigorous affiliate vetting and clear compliance guidelines, only onboarding partners who meet our standards on traffic sources and ethical promotion. Second, we use advanced tracking and fraud detection tools to monitor traffic quality in real time, flagging suspicious activity like incentivised traffic, duplicate accounts, or abnormal conversion patterns. We also structure deals around quality-based KPIs (retention, LTV, deposit behaviour), not just volume, which discourages low-quality traffic. Regular audits and close communication with affiliates help us correct issues early or cut off non-compliant partners quickly.
Read the full interview in our digital magazine:
