Super Group has taken its expansion plans for African markets up a notch via an initiative with one of the world’s biggest influencers, MrBeast, which took place in Ghana.

The Betway and Spin operator has unveiled a partnership with the 27-year old social media personality, real name Jimmy Donaldson, who has the world’s biggest YouTube following with over 468 million subscribers.

The NYSE company has made a donation to Beast Philantropy, MrBeast’s non-profit organisation. Super Group’s Chief Executive Officer, Neal Menashe, was also pictured at a community initiative with the YouTuber in Ghana.

Menashe and MrBeast were seen donating chickens to rural communities, intended to symbolise consistent food security for communities which the firm states rely heavily on volatile cocoa harvests.

“At Super Group, we take our responsibility to give back seriously,” Menashe remarked. “Working alongside MrBeast and witnessing the immediate shift from uncertainty to hope was incredibly powerful.

“Raising chickens means having access to fresh eggs to eat, to sell or to hatch into more chickens. It creates ongoing income and delivers a sustainable foundation that will help these communities thrive for years to come.”

MrBeast joins Super Group’s Africa push?

Charitable initiatives are nothing new in betting, particularly for large PLCs like Super Group.

Its online betting competitors Entain and Flutter Entertainment are also no strangers to non-profit partnerships, like the former’s with UK grassroots football and the latter’s with Cure Leukemia.

Influencer partnerships are also nothing new. Last year, for example, BoyleSports signed a UK-facing deal with Emily Atack, a podcaster and presenter, who became a brand ambassador for the BoyleSports Casino.

Working so directly with an influencer as widely followed as MrBeast no less, is a little more unique, however. MrBeast is one of the biggest social media personalities on the planet, with the largest YouTube following and third largest TikTok following.

He has also made philanthropy a core part of his brand image, with Africa by extension a key target for these charitable activities. This has included clean water and clothing initiatives in the years since his philanthropic efforts began in 2019.

The initiative with Super Group comes amid the gambling company embarking on a push into African betting markets. In the group’s Q3 financial report last year, Africa and the Middle East stood out as the biggest geography for Betway with $219m in revenue, up from $164m the year prior.

In an interview with SBC last year, Menashe also made it clear that Africa is a key target for the company moving forward while also citing its ‘podium positions’ on the continent – such as Betway in South Africa.

The firm is not the only major player setting up shop in Africa, however, with Kaizen Gaming’s Betano launching in Ghana earlier this month.

The industry’s influencer tightrope

Partnering with influencers, especially in charity-related deals, obviously has its merits. Personalities like MrBeast have huge online followings which can be effectively, and smartly, leveraged to boost a company’s brand.

Influencer marketing has also been a useful tool for the black market for many years, with concerns raised from the UK to Brazil. It is not uncommon to see influencers, whether wittingly or not, sharing watermarks or promotional links for unlicensed betting sites.

Regulated and reputable companies like Super Group making use of influencer partnerships and initiatives could be a sign of the licensed industry fighting fire with fire and leveraging social media personalities’ vast online presence for their own benefit.

However, this process and relationship is not entirely watertight as, like every other betting marketing discipline, it is subject to the different regulatory standards of different jurisdictions. The extensive following influencers have among under-18s is also a factor to consider.

The ban on under-16s using social media in Australia and the talks about the UK potentially doing the same should give businesses of all shapes and sizes and across various industries an idea of what some government’s attitudes towards social media can be.

There is also a risk element to consider. As with any other marketing partnership, companies which sign deals with influencers stand to benefit from the positive aspects associated with that influencer’s brand, but also any potential negative ones.

The MrBeast brand has faced some controversies in the past, for example. His ‘Beast Games’ series of challenges, based on the hit Netflix show Squid Game, faced allegations of unsafe conditions, a hostile work environment, misconduct and harassment.

On top of this, one of the biggest platforms for influencer partnership, X (formerly Twitter), has recently changed its rules around gambling promotions in a move which could make life trickier for betting marketers utilising the platform.

Influencers still have their use for betting companies, but managing and leveraging these partnerships looks set to become an increasingly difficult practice over the coming years.