Best betting apps Africa: Here’s our top 5 shortlist for 2023!

The best betting apps in Africa are shortlisted right here. So pick one, get registered, and have some fun right now!

Best Betting Apps Africa

Africa is full of great betting sites, but only certain ones have a phenomenal mobile app for players to download. To save you plenty of time and effort, we’ve shortlisted the best betting apps in Africa right here. We’ve also detailed why these apps rank at the very top of the list, so do check out the sites below:

1. Betking
2. 1xBet
3. Melbet
4. Bet9ja
5. Betway

Betking – putting the power in your hands

As you’d expect from one of the best betting apps in Africa, Betking has a leading Android and iOS app available to download. From this app, you will benefit from one-touch cashouts, which are quite generous we might add! But on top of this, the app also facilitates live streaming, in-play betting and enhanced odds markets. As you can see, Betking has taken great care in including all premium features through this app, and we believe that this makes it one of the best apps in Africa.

1xBet – epic in every regard

1xBet has one of the largest sportsbooks in the whole of Africa, which is quite an achievement. The site can be accessed in various jurisdictions too, including Nigeria, Kenya, and several others. With well over 30 sports to wager on, combined with hundreds of markets for key sports, the 1xBet mobile app is well worth downloading. New players can also bag a 100% first deposit match as a welcome bonus too, which is a fantastic way to get the ball rolling. The app is available to install on Android and iOS devices, much like the others on this list.

Melbet – a rising star

Melbet doesn’t quite have the same recognition as other brands in our list, but this is a great betting site nonetheless. With supported apps for iOS and Android systems, you can take Melbet with you wherever you go. The app itself is incredibly stylish too, with great aesthetics, a wide range of sports to bet on, cashouts, live betting, reload bonuses galore and the promo code for Melbet. This is also a very modern bookmaker, since players can fund accounts with cryptocurrency, the latest e-wallets, and PayByPhone.

Bet9ja – solid fundamentals, exciting markets

For starters, we consider Bet9ja to have one of the best betting apps in Africa in the bonus department. New players can instantly lock-in a 100% deposit match after signing up, and these bonus funds can be used to wager on all kinds of markets. On that note, Bet9ja covers popular sports like tennis, football, and basketball quite extensively. This is proven by the hundreds of markets listed for main events, and you can browse these with ease thanks to the awesome interface on both the iOS and Android apps.

Betway – a veteran of the industry

Betway has been in the game much longer than other brands, which is probably why it has such a following in Africa. With thousands of current members, you’d have thought that Betway must offer something special – and they certainly do. From the Betway app, you can make use of a weekly free bet club, streaming for thousands of events on an annual basis, and withdrawals are almost instant too. Don’t worry about a limited selection of sports to bet on either, for Betway has more than 30 sports listed right now. This should be enough to keep most African punters entertained, and the icing on the cake is that the app is amazingly easy to use.

How to select the best betting apps in Africa

Availability for multiple operating systems

This is something that doesn’t always cross the mind of punters, despite how critical it is. Basically, not all betting sites in Africa will have a supported app for multiple systems. Some will only have an Android app, some will only have an iOS app, and believe it or not – some sites don’t have a mobile app at all. For the latter, this means you’d have to sign in and place bets through your mobile browser. This often results in a subpar experience, which is why we wouldn’t promote such sites.

In contrast, the best sites have mobile apps that are built to operate seamlessly on most devices, for several operating systems. Naturally, Android and iOS operating systems are heavily favored, and these will even work well on tablet devices such as iPads.

Overall sports betting coverage

It helps to find betting apps that cover a wide range of sports. After all, different punters prefer to bet on different sports. So by choosing apps with wide sports betting coverage, there is a better chance that you’ll sign up and be able to bet on your favorite sporting events. It’s that simple really, and the top betting apps in Africa regularly serve up a range of more than 30 sports to wager on. As a cool tip, you can often customize these apps too by picking your favorite sports. By doing this, these sports will be displayed first when browsing the markets.

Relevant and rewarding bonuses

The first consideration for this feature is what the welcome bonus consists of. Bigger really is better in this regard, and as you’ve already seen, the best betting apps will offer incentives like deposit matches, free bets, and more. But in this sense, you shouldn’t just look at the monetary incentives to determine which is best. In addition, you should be looking at how easy it is to get the bonus, how ‘friendly’ the terms of the bonuses are, and how flexible the bonuses are too in terms of what you can wager on with them.

Support of premium features

Premium features, in this sense, relate to features such as streaming, cashouts, and bet builder tools – something which the top apps in Africa do have. You don’t have to use these tools if you don’t want to, but of course, it’s helpful to have them at your disposal for when the mood strikes. And while the best betting apps have such features, there’s another reason why punters prefer to access such features on these apps. Basically, they are easier to access and easier to use compared with average betting apps in Africa.

For example, an average site may offer cashouts for a handful of markets, whereas the best sites offer cashouts for most markets.

How to download these apps and place a wager

Pick the right site

This may seem a little obvious, but it’s still step one in the process, so it has to be mentioned. Basically, you have to choose which app looks like it will suit your needs the most compared with the other selections. If it’s a great welcome bonus you are primarily looking for, you’ll want to pick the site that has the largest welcome incentive. If it’s streaming you primarily want, then it’s beneficial to pick the site that has the most streaming services – and so on and so forth. There is no time pressure here, so have a look through the best betting apps we’ve listed, then move on to step two.

Find the download link and install

If it’s an iOS app you are looking to download, you can simply head into the App Store, type in the betting site, and the app will appear. However, the Google Play Store (for Android devices) doesn’t always allow ‘betting apps’ to be listed. For that reason, you may need to visit the relevant mobile sites of your chosen site, and there will usually be a link to download the APK file. Alternatively, if you want to keep things as simple as possible, you can just use the links that we have provided above.

Register and make a deposit

Unless you’ve already signed up through the desktop site, you’ll need to register once you have downloaded the apps. On that note, different jurisdictions such as Ghana, Kenya, and Nigeria will have different information that you’ll have to give. This is rarely overly intrusive, however, and standard information tends to include your DOB, address, and name. Now, once you have gone through the sign-up process, you can then sign in and process your first deposit. Most sites have various methods you can use to do this, but to ensure that you use an eligible method for the welcome bonus, we’d advise using a debit card.

You’ll also need to make a deposit that meets the minimum value accepted, although the best betting apps in Africa tend to have quite low minimums!

Browse the markets and place a bet

With an open account and money loaded up, you are ready to explore the markets to determine what you’d like to bet on. Note that if you have received bonus cash or a free bet as part of the welcome bonus, you’ll have to make a wager that satisfies the terms of the bonus. Beyond this, you can wager on whatever you want with your own funds. This doesn’t have to be a pre-match bet either, it can be an outright bet, a live bet, or you can even shoot for specialty bets like accumulators – the world is your oyster!

Best betting apps in Africa FAQs

Is it safe to use these apps?

Absolutely. Although we have reviewed each app to shortlist them as one of the best, safety is still our number one priority. That’s why all of the Africa betting apps we’ve identified are licensed, regulated, and they all use SSL encryption to shield your transactions.

Can I claim the welcome bonus at all of the best betting apps?

That depends. You can only redeem a welcome bonus at betting sites where you are not currently a registered member. If you are, this means that you are no longer classified as a ‘new customer’. However, for all of the best betting apps that you haven’t yet signed up with, the welcome bonus is all yours.

How many reload bonuses can I actually redeem?

There are absolutely zero restrictions on how many reload bonuses you can redeem at any individual betting site. Once a bonus is advertised, you can go ahead and claim it, as long as you meet the eligibility criteria that is.

Will I have to verify my details after registering?

Yes, but this isn’t something to frown upon. It’s actually a good thing, as it shows that the site is taking care by vetting each of its new member sign-ups. As you can imagine, if they take care to ensure that they verify each member, then it’s an absolute certainty that other safety protocols are followed on the site. It’s super easy to verify your details too – you’ll just need to email them with proof of ID and address.

Do these apps all offer customer support services?

Absolutely. Customer support is something that all of the best betting apps tend to excel with. Not only do these apps allow you to chat with customer support agents on a 24/7 basis, but they allow you to do so through various methods too. This includes methods such as email, phone, and live chat.

What are the more popular sports that these apps cover?

There are definitely certain sports in Africa that tend to be more popular with punters across the board. These sports include the likes of football, basketball, American football, tennis, horse racing, and even cricket. The top sites clearly understand this too, which is why they cover the mentioned sports in much greater depth than others.

How long will it take me to sign up?

Not long at all. Once you have decided which betting site you’d like to join, you can then download the relevant apps within seconds and start the sign-up process. From start to finish, this entire process will take you around 5-10 minutes.