The commencement of June and the anticipation surrounding the upcoming FIFA World Cup arrive at a significant moment as South Africa observes Youth Month.

The safeguarding, upliftment, and empowerment of young people remain priorities across industries, governments, and communities. While progress has been made, persistent challenges continue to shape the lived realities of many young Africans. Youth unemployment remains alarmingly high, graduates are entering an increasingly competitive job market, and concerns around youth participation in gambling and betting continue to draw the attention of policymakers and industry leaders alike.

During the recent Gaming Tech Summit Africa (GTSA) , attended by ALGA, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr. Musa Mngadi, a compelling question emerged during discussions around innovation and youth engagement: "What opportunities are stakeholders still overlooking when it comes to youth engagement through esports?"

Perhaps the question extends far beyond esports.

What opportunities is the broader gaming and lottery sector overlooking when it comes to meaningful youth participation?

Young people are among the most digitally connected, technologically curious, and innovative demographics on the continent. They are not only consumers of technology and entertainment; they are developers, data analysts, marketers, entrepreneurs, designers, software engineers, compliance specialists, and future industry leaders. Yet conversations around youth and gaming often centre exclusively on participation as players, rather than participation as contributors, innovators, and professionals.

Initiatives such as internship and graduate development programmes introduced by organisations like Betway Global demonstrate that there is an opportunity to shift the conversation from engagement to empowerment. These initiatives raise an important question for theindustry: Are we doing enough to create sustainable pathways for young people to enter, influence, and ultimately lead the sector?

As Youth Month continues, the challenge before the industry is not merely how to protect young people from harm, but how to create meaningful opportunities that harness their talent, ambition, and creativity. The future of Africa's gaming and lottery sector will be shaped by the next generation. The question is whether we are intentionally creating space for them to help build it.

Young people using laptops, virtual reality and gaming technology