Calls for Collaboration Dominate Women in Gaming EA Launch
The Women in Gaming Association East Africa (WIGA-EA) was officially launched on the sidelines of the inaugural iGaming Afrika Summit, which concluded on Wednesday.
A new association supporting women working across the iGaming industry has been launched amid growing calls for collaboration between regional organisations focused on improving representation, mentorship and leadership opportunities within the sector.
The Women in Gaming Association East Africa (WIGA-EA) was officially launched on the sidelines of the inaugural iGaming Afrika Summit, which concluded on Wednesday.
The association will bring together women from across East Africa working for sports betting operators, regulators, casinos, suppliers and other businesses connected to 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 WIGA-EA chairperson Emily Asava.
The launch event attracted women from across the continent, including founders of Women in Gaming Nigeria, Olabimpe Akingba and Olafadeke Akenju, alongside Lois Bright from Women in Gaming Africa.
“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 also received backing from industry executives including John Mutua of the Association of Gaming Operatorsand Jeremiah Maangi of iGaming Afrika, who pledged an initial contribution of Ksh 50,000 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,” said Mutua.
He added that the Association of Gaming Operators’ support for the initiative was strategic rather than symbolic.
“Diverse leadership teams make fewer blind-spot errors,” he said.
The new association will be governed by a board featuring representatives from across the region, including Emily Asava of SA Gaming, Cynthia Onyango, industry PR consultant Lola Okulo, Borah Omary and Rwanda’s Aimee Cyuzuzo.
Women working across the East African iGaming sector said the new organisation will help mentor, empower and support professionals as they continue strengthening female representation within the traditionally male-dominated industry.
WIGA-EA plans to roll out mentorship schemes, networking opportunities, training projects and leadership support initiatives, while also acting as a collective voice advocating for greater inclusion across the sector.
