In this episode of iGaming Leader, host Leo Judkins sits down with Nakeeta Janse van Rensburg, former Group CEO of the MEGA Group, co-founder of StratEdge Group, and UK ambassador for Women in Gaming Africa.
Nakeeta shares her extraordinary journey through 17 years in iGaming leadership, culminating in her transition to entrepreneurship.
The conversation explores leadership, burnout, servant leadership, emotional intelligence, and cultural challenges in corporate environments, offering powerful insights and hard-earned advice for executives navigating rapid growth, health challenges, and the personal cost of high performance in the gaming industry.
Guest Bio
Nakeeta has been in the iGaming industry for over 17 years. With her roots in VIP, CRM and customer retention she has worked in almost every department in the B2C and B2B space.
After 6 years of running the Ellipse Entertainment/MEGA Group she recently exited and has now co-founded StratEdge Group Inc which offers consulting services for new market entry worldwide, helping businesses navigate the entry without the unnecessary financial burn.
Nakeeta serves as the UK Ambassador for women in iGaming Africa and pioneered the 3 pillars of leadership to build strong teams of leaders serving each other.
Key Topics Discussed
00:00 – When "We're a family" culture becomes toxic
02:54 – Building a confident, empowered, global team
06:20 – The cost of career growth: imposter syndrome and overwork
10:08 – The risks of not setting boundaries from the beginning
14:05 – The most important thing you can do for yourself
17:04 – Redefining relationships after stepping into leadership
20:00 – Coping with isolation at the top
23:00 – Sacrifices behind the scenes
27:43 – The power and traps of servant leadership
38:00 – Finding identity beyond the job title
46:15 Launching StratEdge agency and rediscovering purpose
Memorable Quotes
"Some businesses actually do expect the team to die for the business — and will even use that language."
"You have made work non-negotiable, and everything else is negotiable."
"Servant leadership isn’t about doing what everyone says — it’s about being courageous for the whole."
"I was the job. I wasn't even so much my title — I was the company."
"Fear is just a trigger warning system. How you deal with fear is a completely different thing."
Important Links