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Performance Marketing
WinZone Sports had proven product-market fit in Kenya but needed to scale across East and West Africa — Uganda, Tanzania, Ghana, and Nigeria. We adapted their acquisition playbook for each market, building USSD and mobile-money-optimized funnels, local language creative in Swahili, Hausa, and Yoruba, and partnerships with local radio stations and mobile operators that drove 40K+ monthly registrations.
WinZone Sports wanted to establish itself as a leading sportsbook across five African markets — Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ghana, and Nigeria — but faced challenges fundamentally different from European or North American markets.
Internet penetration varied from 25% to 45% across these countries, with the vast majority of users accessing the web via low-cost Android devices on 2G/3G networks. Traditional digital acquisition channels (Google Ads, Meta) reached only a fraction of the target audience.
Payment infrastructure was fragmented: mobile money (M-Pesa, MTN Mobile Money, Airtel Money) dominated in East Africa while bank transfers and USSD payments were prevalent in West Africa. WinZone's existing marketing — a copy-paste of their European strategy with Facebook ads and email campaigns — was generating only 800 registrations per month across all five markets combined, with a deposit rate of just 22%.
The $45 CPA was unsustainable given the lower average deposit values in these markets ($8-15 per deposit). The team needed a fundamentally different playbook built for African mobile-first, feature-phone-inclusive audiences.
We designed and executed a market-specific performance strategy for each of WinZone's five African markets, prioritizing mobile-native channels and local partnerships. USSD Funnels: we built USSD-based registration and betting flows for feature phone users in all five markets, allowing players to register, deposit via mobile money, and place bets without internet access.
USSD campaigns were promoted through SMS blasts to opted-in mobile money user databases (purchased through compliant telecom partnerships) and generated 3,500 registrations/month at $6 CPA. Mobile Money Integration: we optimized the deposit flow for mobile money platforms — M-Pesa in Kenya/Tanzania, MTN Mobile Money in Uganda/Ghana, and Opay/Palmpay in Nigeria — reducing deposit friction by enabling one-tap STK push payments.
Deposit conversion rate jumped from 22% to 51%. Local Radio Partnerships: we negotiated sponsorship and live-read advertising deals with 15 popular radio stations across the five markets — including sports talk shows and live match commentary programs.
Radio campaigns included unique promo codes for attribution and drove 2,200 registrations/month with strong brand awareness lift. On-Ground Agent Network: we recruited and trained 120 local agents (sports bar owners, mobile money kiosks, barbershop operators) who received commission for each registered depositor acquired through their unique referral code.
The agent network contributed 1,800 registrations/month with the highest deposit rate (68%) of any channel. Digital Channels: we optimized Facebook and Google campaigns for the 35-45% of the audience with smartphone internet access, using locally relevant creative (local sports leagues, local languages, mobile money deposit messaging).
Results at 6 months: 12,500 monthly registrations across all five markets (from 800), deposit rate improved from 22% to 49% blended, CPA dropped from $45 to $11, and WinZone achieved profitability in 4 of 5 markets within the first quarter.
Built USSD-based flows enabling feature phone users to register, deposit via mobile money, and place bets without internet access, generating 3,500 registrations/month at $6 CPA.
Integrated M-Pesa, MTN Mobile Money, and Opay/Palmpay with one-tap STK push payments, increasing deposit conversion from 22% to 51%.
Secured live-read advertising on 15 radio stations across 5 markets, focusing on sports talk shows and live match commentary with unique attribution codes.
Recruited 120 local agents at sports bars, mobile money kiosks, and barbershops who earned commission per depositor, achieving a 68% deposit rate.
“Our European playbook was completely wrong for Africa. The USSD funnels, mobile money integration, radio partnerships, and agent network — these aren't channels we'd ever considered. Going from 800 to 12,500 monthly registrations while dropping CPA from $45 to $11 proved that understanding local infrastructure is everything in these markets.”
WinZone Sports had proven product-market fit in Kenya but needed to scale across East and West Africa — Uganda, Tanzania, Ghana, and Nigeria. We adapted their acquisition playbook for each market, building USSD and mobile-money-optimized funnels, local language creative in Swahili, Hausa, and Yoruba, and partnerships with local radio stations and mobile operators that drove 40K+ monthly registrations.
