Africa’s gaming industry is set to cross $1 billion in revenue this year. Rapid growth, driven by a young population, improved internet access, and more smartphones, has attracted major tech companies like Microsoft, Sony and Disney to invest in the sector.

The video game market in Africa has shown promising growth, from $862 million in revenue in 2022 to a projected $1 billion in 2024, an 8.7 per cent increase, according to the Newzoo games analytics company.

Ebenezer Gasonoo, also known as Nomak when playing games, has been playing online since the 1990s. He said there was a time when game developers did not recognise African players, and when he tried to sign up and listed his home country as Ghana, he was told the game didn’t support it, and he would have to find another one to play.

“The first 10 years of active video gaming in Africa was bad,” he said. “I think with the boom of online systems and the boom of Africa getting into video games, you see certain games are geared toward the world but now they include Africa, and that’s very nice to see.”

An Africa game industry report says the number of gamers in sub-Saharan Africa has grown from 77 million in 2015 to 186 million in 2021. Ninety-five percent of gamers play on their mobile phones.

According to survey company Geopoll, for the majority, gaming is seen as a primary source of entertainment, relaxation and a remedy for boredom, with 73 per cent playing for fun and 64 per cent for stress relief.

African game developer Daniel Macharia of Kenya has been creating video games since 2015.

Macharia developed Nairobbery, an action-adventure game where players navigate the city and encounter challenges inspired by real-life scenarios. They also explore iconic landmarks and hidden places in an exciting narrative that weaves local folklore and urban tales.

He said the game also features running battles between police and protesters, which is a common scene in many African countries, including Kenya. He said the two main characters are college students, and in some levels of the game, they face off against police.

“There was some kind of parallel serendipity that was happening there where the game was starting to mirror real life,” Macharia said. “That was just more validation that I chose to go the right way.” 

According to the Voice of America (VOA), the gaming sector is attracting funding from Microsoft, Disney and Sony, raising millions of dollars to develop more games and scale game consumption across the continent.

Jay Shapiro, chairman of the Pan African Gaming Group, said Africa attracts investments with its untapped storytelling potential.

“Africa has a heritage of thousands of years of stories and legends that have never been heard in a lot of the world,” he said. “So, this new interest is giving voice to a lot of creators across the continent to share those stories. And I think that’s really powerful. And creating games where Africans can see themselves reflected in the game, which historically has never happened in the industry.”

Eyram Tawia, a Ghanaian game developer, said video games can help preserve African traditions.

“Video games also offer a medium to preserve culture for the long term that can be packaged and distributed globally with just one click across app stores if we keep producing local content,” Tawia said. “This is going to create a lot of revenue for the African continent.”

Recent investments, game camps and conferences in some African countries are helping to reduce the financial challenges faced by video game developers. The events support game development and education, making it easier for developers to create games and learn new skills.