African Culture Phenomenon (pty) Ltd

What African Culture Phenomenon (pty) Ltd does

African Culture Phenomenon (Pty) Ltd, operating as ItsHappening.Africa, is a South African sports technology company founded in 2019 and headquartered in Johannesburg. The company operates a mobile-first event management platform for African sports organizations, delivering tournament administration, live streaming, and academy operations through a combination of the IH Sports consumer app (available on iOS and Google Play), custom tournament apps for organizers, and the IH Academy management system. Underlying technology centers on real-time data synchronization, automatic pool/playoff calculations, offline-capable mobile delivery, and up to 4K multi-camera live streaming delivered via a partnership with FanStreamTV, with PayFast integrated for payment processing within IH Academy.

ItsHappening.Africa serves four primary customer segments: school sports organizations and leagues (e.g., SASHOC), national sports federations and governing bodies, sports academies and training centres, and sports brands and sponsors seeking advertising inventory. The company reports 25,000+ active users on the IH Sports app, 500+ hosted events, 500K+ monthly platform views, and an 85% engagement rate. Revenue is generated through four streams: (1) live streaming video advertising from R5,000 per event, (2) in-app mobile advertising from R2,500 per month, (3) bespoke custom advertising packages negotiated via direct sales, and (4) IH Academy subscriptions (R45,680 disclosed monthly revenue from 247 active members), complemented by professional live streaming production services priced on a tailored basis.

Go-to-market blends product-led growth (free app downloads, self-serve academy free trials, app store optimization) with an enterprise field sales motion evidenced by book-a-demo CTAs and dedicated sales booking pages targeting schools, federations, and sponsors. The company is privately held, bootstrapped with no disclosed institutional funding, and operates with 1-10 employees. Key strategic partners include FanStreamTV (live stream delivery), PayFast (payments), and PT SportSuite (data analytics).

Name

African Culture Phenomenon (pty) Ltd

Legal name

ItsHappening (Pty) Ltd

Website

https://itshappening.africa

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

African Culture Phenomenon (Pty) Ltd operates ItsHappening.Africa, a mobile-first sports event management platform serving South African schools, federations, academies, and sponsors with tournament apps, live streaming, and academy management tools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Event Management Software

NAICS

Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516), Spectator Sports (71121)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Distribution (7829)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Streaming Distribution & App Platforms (CTV, Mobile, Web) (MPAKAOAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Sports Streaming Platforms (MPAKAOAA), Sports Streaming Platforms (MPACAAAE), Sports Highlights, Clips & VOD Libraries (MPAKAOAF)

Keywords

• Sports event management
• Live sports streaming
• Tournament management software
• Academy management system
• Sports advertising platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Johannesburg

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Live Streaming Advertising: Video advertising during live sports broadcasts including pre-roll and mid-roll video ads, logo placement on stream overlays, commentary mentions, branded scoreboards, exclusive sponsor segments, and event naming rights. Priced from R5,000 per event.
2. In-App Mobile Advertising: In-app advertising including banner ads, sponsored content cards, push notification sponsorship, in-app branded experiences, event page sponsorship, and featured placement. Priced from R2,500/month.
3. Live Streaming Production Services: Professional live streaming production services with up to 4K quality, multi-camera setups, professional commentary, and custom graphic suites, offered as a tailored package to meet client budgets and brand requirements.
4. IH Academy Subscription: Academy management system with class scheduling, member management, PayFast payment processing, analytics and reports. Referenced with active members generating monthly revenue of R45,680, indicating a subscription or usage-based revenue model for sports academies.
5. Custom Advertising Packages: Tailored advertising packages for clients seeking unique or comprehensive marketing solutions beyond standard offerings, indicating bespoke deal-making for enterprise or premium advertisers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

African Culture Phenomenon (Pty) Ltd operates ItsHappening.Africa, a mobile-first sports event management platform that delivers tournament management, live streaming, and academy administration to South African sports organizations. The platform combines the IH Sports consumer mobile app, professional live streaming services for events, and the IH Academy management system into a single ecosystem that replaces PDFs and spreadsheets with real-time scores, fixtures, standings, and community engagement tools. Revenue is generated through advertising sold to brands, subscription fees for the IH Academy, and bespoke live streaming production services for schools, federations, and national championships.

Product overview

ItsHappening.Africa operates a platform-plus-modules architecture with three core products: Live Streaming for broadcasting sports events with up to 4K video, Tournament Apps for comprehensive tournament management (fixtures, standings, team management), and IH Academy for academy administration including bookings and payments. The IH Sports App serves as the consumer-facing mobile interface through which end users access live updates, scores, and streaming content from all platform modules.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IH Sports: The main ItsHappening sports app providing live updates, fixtures, results, and live streaming for events.
• IH Academy

Products and services

• Live Streaming Professional live streaming service for sports events, supporting up to 4K video with custom camera configurations, professional commentary, integrated scoring graphics, on-demand replay archives, and social media integration. Designed for sports organizations, federations, schools, and event hosts across South Africa.
• Tournament Apps Complete tournament management solution providing real-time fixture updates, automatic standings calculation, team and player management, push notifications, offline capability, and custom branding options. Built for school sports organizations, federations, and event organizers running tournaments.
• IH Academy Academy management system for South African sports organizations handling class scheduling and bookings, member management, PayFast payment integration, analytics and reports, with mobile-first design and bank-level security. Designed for sports academies and training centres.
• IH Sports App The main ItsHappening sports mobile application providing live updates, fixtures, results, and live streaming access for users to follow their favorite events and teams. Available on the App Store and Google Play.
• Live Streaming Video Advertising Video advertising during live sports broadcasts including pre-roll and mid-roll video ads, logo placement on stream overlays, commentary mentions and shout-outs, branded scoreboards and graphics, exclusive sponsor segments, and event naming rights. Sold to brands and sponsors seeking reach into engaged sports audiences.
• In-App Mobile Advertising In-app advertising including banner ads, sponsored content cards, push notification sponsorship, in-app branded experiences, event page sponsorship, and featured placement in listings. Sold to brands and sponsors seeking ongoing visibility with app users.
• Custom Advertising Packages Tailored advertising packages for brands and sponsors seeking unique or comprehensive marketing solutions beyond standard offerings. Pricing not publicly disclosed and requires direct engagement with the ItsHappening sales team.

Quantifiable outcome

• 25,000+ active users on the platform
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• FanStreamTVcoreTechnology or IntegrationFanStreamTV (za.fanstreamtv.com) hosts live event streams for ItsHappening.Africa. The platform redirects live events to the FanStreamTV domain, indicating a streaming infrastructure partnership or white-label arrangement where FanStreamTV handles live stream delivery and playback.
• PayFastcoreTechnology or IntegrationPayFast is integrated into the IH Academy management system for payment processing. The IH Academy dashboard shows revenue processing through PayFast, enabling sports academies to collect member payments and class fees via the platform.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• TeamSnap: TeamSnap offers team management, scheduling, and communication for amateur sports. It is comparable to ItsHappening's tournament/team management functionality for community and youth sports organizers.
• Hudl: Hudl provides video analysis, live streaming, and team management tools for amateur and school sports. It overlaps directly with ItsHappening's live streaming and tournament app capabilities, particularly in the school and club sports segment.
• PlayHQ: PlayHQ is a tournament and competition management platform serving grassroots sports organizations with fixtures, results, and team administration. It is directly comparable to ItsHappening's Tournament Apps product, though with broader international reach.
• FanStreamTV: FanStreamTV is ItsHappening.Africa's streaming infrastructure partner that hosts live event streams at za.fanstreamtv.com. It is a direct comparable as a South Africa-focused live sports streaming platform serving community and amateur sports events.

Emerging players

• Stack Sports: Stack Sports provides a suite of sports management software including tournament, league, and registration platforms. Comparable as a sports-tech ecosystem serving amateur organizations, though predominantly in North America.
• SkillShark: SkillShark provides tournament and evaluation software for sports academies and organizations, including player assessments and event management. Comparable to ItsHappening's IH Academy and tournament app offerings for smaller sports organizations.
• Tourney Logic: Tourney Logic offers tournament scheduling and management software for amateur sports. It is an emerging player in the same niche as ItsHappening's Tournament Apps, focused on North American markets but addressing similar customer pain points.

Broad incumbents

• MultiChoice / DStv: MultiChoice's DStv is the largest pay-TV and streaming platform in sub-Saharan Africa, including the SuperSport sports channels. It is a broad incumbent that competes for sports media and advertising spend that ItsHappening also targets.
• Genius Sports: Genius Sports is a global sports data, technology, and media company providing live streaming, data feeds, and advertising solutions for sports leagues. It overlaps with ItsHappening's streaming and advertising capabilities at a much larger scale.
• SuperSport: SuperSport is the dominant pan-African sports broadcaster owned by MultiChoice. It overlaps with ItsHappening's live streaming and advertising business but operates at professional/profitable sports tier, not amateur/school sports.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/its-happening-africa-pty-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about African Culture Phenomenon (pty) Ltd