Insights from Simon Pepper about The Future of Mobile Payments and Betting in Africa
In an exclusive interview with iGaming AFRIKA, Simon Pepper, Chief Product Officer, Tola Mobile Ltd, shared his thoughts on the synergy between mobile payments and the rapidly evolving betting community in Africa.
With an extensive background at Tola Mobile, Pepper has been at the forefront of harnessing technology to streamline payment processes within the gaming sector. Below are some key insights from his conversation.
“Frictionless payments are going to continue to drive the evolution and speed of the gaming sector,” Pepper emphasized, highlighting the transformative power of mobile money. He explained that the frictionless nature of mobile payments allows for a seamless interaction between players and operators.
“Once you have that and you have that as a frictionless real-time method, then the speed of transactions will then support the high-velocity games,” he said, referring to popular betting formats where users engage multiple times a day.
However, he was candid about the challenges the industry faces, particularly regarding mobile network operators. “The reliability of operators is always a problem… they have long outages without warning, maintenance periods where they give us very little warning,” Pepper revealed. This inconsistency in service delivery often leads to delays in integrating payment solutions and can create frustrating experiences for users.
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Despite these hurdles, Pepper remains optimistic about the potential of technology in advancing e-commerce in Africa. “It’s bringing a mobile electronic payment method where there wasn’t one before… at the end of the day, a betting site is just an online presence for someone,” he noted, recognizing that mobile payments are paving the way for broader digital engagement across the continent.
With a steadfast commitment to ensuring smooth payment processes and expanding their reach, Tola Mobile is well-positioned to play a pivotal role in the growth of mobile payment and betting services in Africa. As the landscape continues to evolve, the integration of technology and seamless payment solutions will be more crucial than ever.
