LAKE Group launches a digital platform for ticketing, payments, voting and live streaming for Africa’s creative and entertainment industry, starting with Miss Freetown 2026.
LAKE Group Launches First Phase of $65,000 Partnership to Build Africa’s Creative Digital Economy Platform
Ticketing, payments, voting and live streaming for Africa’s creative and entertainment industry, in one platform
FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE / CALIFORNIA, USA, 27 September 2026. LAKE Group today launched its digital platform for Africa’s creative and entertainment industry at lakegroupsl.com. Audiences anywhere in the world can now buy tickets, pay, vote and watch events live online.
[One sentence on the partnership: who the $65,000 partnership is with, and what the first phase covers.]
Built in Africa, for Africa and the world
The platform starts in Sierra Leone but is built for the whole continent. It is based in California, run from Freetown, and available across the African digital market.
It accepts mobile money across Africa, including Orange Money, Afrimoney, MTN and Airtel Money, as well as credit and debit cards and PayPal. Card payments are processed securely through Stripe. Buyers in Freetown pay by mobile money in leones, and buyers in the diaspora pay by card in their own currency.
The platform works on low-cost Android phones and iPhones, including on limited mobile data.
Miss Freetown goes first
The Miss Freetown Beauty Pageant is the first event on the platform:
• Paperless tickets. Each ticket has a unique QR code. It arrives by SMS and email within a minute and is scanned at the gate.
• A cashless event. Every payment goes through the platform. No cash changes hands at the door.
• Codeless voting. Supporters vote online from anywhere in a few taps. Voting rules are published before voting opens, and independent verifiers check the results.
• Live streaming worldwide. Fans who can't be in the room can watch live on a phone, tablet, laptop or TV. One payment gives access to one event. Viewers can choose HD, a low-data mode or audio-only, and switch between them at no extra cost. Access stays open after the event so viewers can watch again.LAKE Group’s other national and international event franchises are also on the platform. They include the National Entertainment Awards, the National Music Awards, the National Music Festival and the Miss Mano River International Beauty Pageant.
Open to the wider industry
The platform is open to event organizers and promoters across Africa and the diaspora. That includes reality TV shows, award ceremonies, pageants, and concerts and tours in Africa, the UK, Europe and the United States. Organizers can use it for secure voting, ticket sales and live streaming to a global audience.
“African creativity has never lacked talent. It has lacked the infrastructure to be seen, paid and taken seriously,” said Dr Alhaji K. Tarawally, Founder and CEO of LAKE Group. “Miss Freetown is where we start. Our goal is an African entertainment industry that is digital, transparent and ready for the global market.”
Test it. Try to prove us wrong.
The platform is live, but it is still a work in progress, and LAKE Group wants the public to test it hard. Buy a ticket, cast a vote, stream an event, and try it all on your cheapest phone and your weakest connection.
If something breaks, confuses you or takes too long, email info@lakegroupsl.com with the subject line “PLATFORM FEEDBACK”. Every report is read and helps shape the next version.
Explore the platform at lakegroupsl.com.