Calls for collaboration dominate women in gaming EA launch

The Women in Gaming Association East Africa (WIG-EA) was launched on the sidelines of the inaugural iGaming Afrika Summit, which concluded on Wednesday.

It will bring together women from East Africa who work for sports betting operators, sector regulators, game suppliers, casinos, and other related businesses serving the industry.

“Our aim is to support, conduct mentorship programmes, provide networking platforms, and create a sisterhood that will support various career goals and aspirations within this industry,” said the association’s chairperson, Emily Asava.

The launch event was attended by women from across Africa, including Women in Gaming Nigeria founders Olabimpe Akingba and Olafadeke Akenju, as well as Women in Gaming Africa’s Lois Bright. 

“At WiNG, we are proud to see this movement expanding across Africa,” said Akingba.

“When women come together intentionally, industries change, policies improve, businesses grow stronger, and futures are transformed.”

The launch was also backed by local chief executives, including Association of Gaming Operators’ John Mutua and iGaming Afrika’s Jeremiah Maangi, who pledged initial support of Ksh. Q50,000 towards building the WIGA-EA brand identity.

“We need this — not as a gesture, not as a diversity footnote in an annual report. We need Women in Gaming East Africa because our industry has a talent problem, and the talent is in this room: underutilised, underpromoted, and frankly underestimated for far too long,” noted Mutua.

He added that AGOK’s support for the association was not a charitable move, but rather a strategic one.

“Diverse leadership teams make fewer blind-spot errors,” he said.

The new association will be governed by a board that includes Emily Asava from SA Gaming, Cynthia Onyango (Board Secretary, AGOK), Lola Okulo (an industry PR consultant), Borah Omary, and Rwanda’s Aimee Cyuzuzo, among others.

Women working in the iGaming industry in East Africa have launched a new community to help mentor, empower, and support each other as they seek to cement their participation in the fast-rising, male-dominated sector.

The Women in Gaming Association East Africa (WIGA-EA) will offer mentorship programmes, workplace networking, training projects, and leadership support, while also serving as a voice for elevating women in the industry.