Survey: 9 in 10 South Africans Bet on Sports

The “Betting in Africa 2025” report by GeoPoll reveals just how deeply sports betting has taken root across the continent. Conducted in April 2025, the survey polled nearly 4,200 residents across six Sub-Saharan African nations — most of them living in urban areas.

South Africa topped the list, with a staggering 90% of respondents saying they’ve placed sports bets at some point.

Uganda followed closely with 87%, and Kenya landed in third with 79%. Nigeria came in at 71%, while both Ghana and Tanzania rounded out the list at 56%.

Compared to GeoPoll’s 2024 figures, betting activity has grown significantly in South Africa, Uganda, and Nigeria. Back then, the numbers looked like this:

• Kenya – 82.8%
• South Africa – 73.9%
• Ghana – 73%
• Uganda – 71.4%
• Tanzania – 71.1%
• Nigeria – 65.3%

According to the latest data, 35% of participants bet weekly, 22% do it monthly, 20% less than once a month, 14% place bets daily, and 9% wager multiple times a day. The vast majority use their mobile phones as their main betting platform.

Previously, we reported on a similar trend in Gibraltar, where nearly 80% of respondents said they actively engage in gambling.