EX Sports at Africa Footgoal 2024: Driving Transparency and New Revenue Models in African Sports Through Blockchain

2025 Apr, 01     Abu Dhabi, UAE

On February 17, 2024, EX Sports was honored to participate in the prestigious Africa Footgoal Conference in Dakar, Senegal, an event dedicated to shaping the future of sports across the continent. Organized by the highly respected Mr. Diamil Faye, a major force in African sports development, the event brought together industry leaders, innovators, and policymakers to discuss opportunities and challenges in the evolving landscape of sport.

EX Sports Founder and CEO, Toli Makris, was invited as a guest speaker on a panel exploring how blockchain technology can create new revenue streams in African sports. Toli delivered a keynote-style presentation that highlighted both the strategic potential of blockchain in fan engagement and monetization, as well as the social impact it can drive at the grassroots level.

A key focus of the presentation was the “Get Paid to Play” campaign – a groundbreaking project EX Sports launched in collaboration with Urbanball in Kibera, Nairobi, one of Africa’s largest informal settlements. This initiative leveraged blockchain to bring radical transparency to community-based charity sports events, ensuring that every transaction is recorded, traceable, and fully accountable.

Through the use of NFTs, smart contracts, and Web3 wallets, local athletes and organizers in Kibera were able to receive direct rewards and support from a global fanbase, bypassing the inefficiencies and opacity that often limit the effectiveness of traditional charity models. The campaign not only showcased the financial and operational transparency blockchain can bring but also inspired a new generation of young athletes who saw real, tangible value from their participation.

“We believe that sport should be a vehicle for both opportunity and accountability,” said Toli Makris. “Blockchain allows us to build trust where it’s needed most — at the grassroots level — and offers a way to scale impact projects with full transparency.”

The Africa Footgoal platform provided an ideal setting for this important conversation. With many countries across the continent actively investing in sports as a tool for youth empowerment, education, and economic development, EX Sports sees Africa as a key region where technology and sport can intersect for meaningful change.

We thank Mr. Diamil Faye and the entire Africa Footgoal team for hosting such a visionary and impactful event. We look forward to expanding our work in Africa and continuing to empower communities through technology, transparency, and the power of play.

#EXSports #AfricaFootgoal #BlockchainForGood #GetPaidToPlay #Kibera #Urbanball #Web3 #SportForChange
#TransparencyInSport #ToliMakris #BlockchainInAfrica #SportsTech #ImpactThroughSport