SiGMA Africa 2026 strengthens its B2G focus as 60+ dignitaries tour the summit expo
On 04 and 05 March 2026, SiGMA Africa in Cape Town hosted guided tours of the summit expo floor organised specifically for government and regulatory delegations. More than 60 guests took part, including ministerial-level representatives, members of the diplomatic corps, and sector regulators from multiple African jurisdictions.
SiGMA Africa 2026 is endorsed by Alea
Who attended the B2G tours
Traditionally, expo-floor tours for government representatives are led by SiGMA’s leadership, and the format has become part of the company’s signature approach to working with official delegations. Each tour lasts around 30 minutes – enough time to cover the exhibition’s key areas, meet the main participants, and get a concentrated overview of the technology solutions, compliance approaches and products shaping the market. Upwards of 60 dignitaries joined SiGMA-hosted B2G expo tours, reinforcing the summit’s focus on direct on-site dialogue between regulators, policymakers, and industry leadership.
Ministers and diplomatic corps
The SiGMA Africa expo welcomed ministerial-level guests:
- Hon. Patricia de Lille — Minister of Tourism, South Africa
- Kitila Mkumbo — Tanzania’s Minister of State President Office, Ministry of State in the President’s Office for Planning and Investment;
- Deidré Baartman — Provincial Minister of Finance, Western Cape Government.
The diplomatic corps was represented by Geir Tellefsen (Consul for Norway), Bernard MD Cassar (Consul for Malta – Cape Town), Genevieve Faye Manel (Ambassador, Embassy of Senegal), Ryan McChristian (International Relations Officer, US Consulate General Cape Town), and Eddie Andrews (Deputy Mayor of Cape Town).
Key regulatory stakeholders
SiGMA Africa is known for bringing the continent’s key stakeholders to one floor, and the 2026 summit was no exception. The expo area was visited by Mabutho Zwane, President of the Gaming Regulators African Forum (GRAF) and CEO of the Eastern Cape Gambling Board, alongside leaders of national boards including Lungile Dukwana and Denis Ngabirano, as well as a delegation from South Africa’s National Assembly Parliament.
South Africa’s provincial regulators
SiGMA placed particular value on participation from seven South African provinces. KwaZulu-Natal (KZNERA) was represented by Portia Baloyi, CEO of KZNERA, accompanied by colleagues. The same tour also included officials from the Department of Economic Development, Tourism & Environmental Affairs, including Nomcebo Jiyane, Director business regulation, and Simon Lingwapha.
Other provinces were represented at C-level, bringing together heads of the Northwest Gambling Board, the Free State Liquor and Gambling Board, the Gauteng Gambling Board, the Mpumalanga Economic Regulator, and the Limpopo Gambling Board. The Western Cape delegation attended as a seven-person team.
Continental and national representation
SiGMA Africa brought together representatives from across the continent, with nine countries represented in addition to South Africa. SiGMA hosted senior officials from Uganda, Kenya, Senegal, Ghana, Botswana, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania and Seychelles.
The Nairobi County Government (Kenya) joined as part of a larger delegation that included department heads alongside operational staff, including finance and development specialists. This underlined the value of engaging full working teams responsible for oversight and regulation, not only senior decision-makers.
Industry bodies and adjacent organisations
The B2G tours also attracted interest from sector bodies and adjacent organisations that matter to the ecosystem. These included the South African Bookmakers Association, the E-Sports Association Ghana, and the Africa iGaming Alliance.
How B2G tours work at SiGMA summits
The SiGMA Africa 2026 programme in Cape Town was comprehensive, spanning an expo, conference sessions, VIP activities, gala dinners, awards ceremonies, and specialized forums. Even so, SiGMA leadership delivered six B2G tours. The format was built around a strategic objective: to give the market direct access to the people shaping rules in their jurisdictions, while also showing public-sector representatives how the industry operates in practice — from licensing requirements to the technology solutions used in regulated markets.
This creates the most direct feedback loop and a clearer understanding on both sides. Operators, platforms and content suppliers can form a sharper view of regulators’ expectations, priorities and pain points. Regulators and government teams, in turn, see real processes, compare approaches across African countries, and can adjust their own frameworks with a better grasp of market context.
During the Africa Summit in Cape Town, our priority at SiGMA Group is to create an environment where regulators, policymakers, and industry leaders can engage meaningfully. Africa is moving quickly toward more modernised regulatory structures, and the summit will serve as an important moment for collaboration, shared insight, and collective progress.
Heathcliff Farrugia, Chief International Relations Officer at SiGMA Group
As a result, B2G tours become more than a walk-through of the expo floor. They function as a tool for building trust and alignment between industry and government – the kind of long-term work that supports market stability and predictability.
SiGMA Vision 2030
B2G is one of the core pillars of SiGMA’s “Vision 2030” strategy, through which the company is building a long-term model of cooperation between governments, regulators and the industry. This direction was launched in autumn 2025 at the SiGMA Europe–Mediterranean summit, which hosted the first closed reception bringing together ambassadors, senior officials, regulatory representatives and top executives.
Within “Vision 2030”, B2G is positioned as a space where diplomacy, innovation and regulation converge. The format is designed to enable practical market discussions, build trust, and align approaches across jurisdictions. SiGMA stresses that B2G development is not a one-off activity, but a long-term track embedded in the company’s strategy. The 2026 calendar already includes key milestones where the B2G agenda will be expanded in parallel with regional priorities:
- São Paulo — 6–9 April 2026
- Manila — 1–3 June 2026
- Mexico City — 1–3 September 2026
- Rome — 2–5 November 2026
- Bangkok — 30 November–2 December 2026
This approach brings a space for open, trust-based industry dialogue to every continent – from Latin America to Asia.
About Alea
Alea is an iGaming platform that helps casino operators bring content and providers into a single ecosystem through one integration. The company focuses on transparency and technological resilience, building infrastructure suited both to major markets and to regions where the industry is still gaining momentum. Africa currently holds a special place in Alea’s strategy. As the general partner of SiGMA Africa 2026, Alea supports the summit’s goal of building a sustainable ecosystem and strengthening industry ties across the continent.
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