Unlocking Africa’s Gaming potential: A growing Market of diverse stories and collaboration
The gaming industry, initially perceived as niche, is actually one of the most profitable worldwide, boasting a revenue of nearly $200 billion in 2023 alone. Gaming, from young to old, transcends age groups, genres, and even continents.
In Africa, the gaming market has seen significant growth since 2018. Previously reliant on foreign games, African youth now aim to create unique African entertainment to tell diverse and authentic stories.
«We always see the same types of heroes, the same characters who all look somewhat alike», laments Mickaël Newton, CSR Manager at Ubisoft and co-founder of the Digital Leisure Association.
«The big hits always feature a muscular, white, bearded character, or a sexy woman doing amazing things with her legs. But the idea is how we can refresh this, how we can tell different stories through African video games and people who want to talk about tradition, or collaborate on more international projects by bringing their diverse stories and knowledge».
Collaboration is key, but on a mutually beneficial model. This is crucial for establishing Africa in the global gaming ecosystem and possibly seeing a blockbuster emerge from the continent.
«It’s a global market, so Africans also play European games, and Europeans have their own games, so there’s high competition», notes Carl Tamakloe, Development Manager for Ubisoft Film & Television.
«Now what’s needed is more collaboration without it turning into education. It’s also important to acknowledge that Africans have skills that can benefit Europeans, and Europeans have technical means because they started earlier».
The crux is funding. How can more investors be attracted to this emerging market? For investment advisor Wilson Nyah, it’s all about communication.
«It’s about informing. Meeting investors where they are and making them aware of the continent’s opportunities, showing them the quality of games already produced in Africa. It’s all there; Africans, as game ambassadors, just need to go out, meet these people in Europe, the US, and showcase the continent’s potential».
The gaming market in Africa and the Middle East experienced the highest annual revenue growth globally in 2023, reaching over $7 billion, a 4.7% increase.
Source: africanews.com
