Johannesburg – JSE-listed hospitality group Sun International published its financial results for the six months ended 30 June 2026, showing it is building a digitally led, market-leading omnichannel gaming company of scale.
The group’s segmental reporting reflects how the business is now managed and evaluated, comprising four core pillars: Online gaming (Sunbet), Land-based casinos, Hospitality, and LPM (Sun Slots).
The group also owns the country’s most iconic resort, Sun City.
Sunbet: The Growth Engine
Sun International said its online gaming platform Sunbet, the group’s growth engine, delivered another strong performance.
Continuing to represent the group’s most significant growth opportunity, Sunbet delivered another strong performance during the review period.
Income increased by an impressive 35.5% to R1.2 billion, supported by a 32.3% increase in unique active player days and a 17.5% increase in first-time depositors.
During the period, further progress was made on enhanced customer engagement capabilities and sportsbook functionality, implemented at the back end of H1.
Adjusted EBITDA increased 42.1%, now contributing 24.0% to group adjusted EBITDA, benefiting from disciplined operational execution.
The strength of the group’s omnichannel strategy continues to differentiate Sunbet in the market, building on innovations such as live dealer gaming directly from Sun International properties and the integration of online and land-based customer experiences.
Sun International is one of South Africa’s biggest hospitality companies.
Tech Innovation and User Experience
A key driver of this growth has been the successful launch of the new Sunbet user interface in South Africa and Botswana.
“This marks the rollout of the first component of proprietary in-house technology within the Sunbet tech stack,” the company said.
“The new user interface provides a faster, more seamless user journey aimed at improving conversion rates and supporting future growth, with early signs proving to be highly encouraging.”
Sunbet is expected to benefit from this new customer-facing interface launched in South Africa and Botswana in August and July 2026, respectively.
With encouraging feedback and early positive results, the faster and seamless user journey is expected to drive higher acquisitions and retention.
“This is underpinned by maintaining market-leading standards of player protection and responsible gambling parameters which remain central to online gaming,” said Sun International.
A Word from Leadership
“We remain committed to building a digitally led, market-leading omnichannel gaming company of scale that delivers sustainable long-term value for our shareholders and broader stakeholders,” said Sun International’s CEO, Ulrik Bengtsson.
Hospitality and Omnichannel Synergy
Looking ahead, Hospitality remains an important contributor to Sun International’s omnichannel strategy.
The Hospitality business continued to deliver solid growth in revenue, up 7.7%, despite Middle East tensions and war-related cancellations of approximately R20 million in H1.
This was supported by a strengthened customer experience, an enhanced food and beverage offering, and resilient domestic demand. Performance also benefited from investments made in Sun City and other core properties.
“Our focus remains on delivering a seamless customer experience within our customer ecosystem and maximising revenue opportunities across our Land-based casino and Hospitality businesses, powered by an integrated digital platform that enhances customer engagement and loyalty,” said Bengtsson.
“Supported by improving tourism trends, strong occupancy levels, increasing ADRs and continued investment in flagship assets, we remain confident in the Hospitality portfolio’s ability to contribute to the group’s long-term growth and value creation.”
*This article first appeared in our sister publication techfinancials.co.za
