Apart from a decent number of countries across the African continent, there is no detailed deep dive into the regional game industry. Of course, some local firms publish their perspectives about this topic with insightful information and analytics, but still, the truth is, not many organizations provide accurate data. Games Industry Africa (GIA) is a rare exception; it serves the role of the primary source of analyses and reports. Therefore, let’s take a look at the recent findings of the GIA about the state of the game industry in Africa today. 

The Game Numbers

From Zimbabwe to Algeria, Africa, for a long time, was on the edge of technological breakthroughs. But still, currently, only Kenya and South Africa have 5G capabilities. And for the first time, the continent is transitioning into a crucial player in the mobile games industry as the youth population that pursues online connectivity is on the rise in Africa. In one of the reports, the number of Sub-Saharan mobile gamers has doubled in the last five years and is considered the fastest-growing globally for users who pay for games. For instance, the Sub-Saharan region includes 46 countries like Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, and others below the Saharan desert. And likely, these changes will impact sustainable growth in Africa. For example, a 10% growth in mobile usage will lead to a 0.6 – 2.8% increase in economic development, and the creation of 80 new jobs will be available for every thousand new Users. 

Let’s have a closer look at five major countries in the region, like Ghana, Kenya, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and South Africa:

• South Africa has the highest intensity of gamers. Among 59m people, 24m spend their free time on games that, are 40% of the countries population. Consequently, Ghana is followed by 27%, Nigeria 23%, Kenya 22%, and Ethiopia 13%.
• In annual gaming revenue, the lead has South Africa gain $290m, followed by Nigeria $185M, Ghana $42m, then Kenya $38m, and Ethiopia $35m.

Therefore, it’s better not to withdraw from the account of the African countries and to include it in the App Marketing Strategy. Also, we recommend using the help of mobile advertising publishers to save time and money. 

Trends in the African Games Industry

• Game funding on the rise: The industry faced funding opportunities from private and public organizations during the year. The trend is rising as more and more funding is launching, giving aspiring developers a chance to build an App. If you are one of them and have already created an app, the next step is to publish it correctly.
• Startup boom: Due to funding, the capital faces an increase in the number of registered firms within the gaming space. While that may not significantly impact the number of developers in the industry now, most likely, shortly, the number will only rise. 
• More Pan-African projects: The game creation is relatively new in the continent, and many face financial and logistical concerns. Therefore, we can expect to see more cross-national collaboration between studios working together to launch a mobile game. 

To sum up, the African region is one of the few in the world where the youth population is rising. By forecasts, Africa will have the most significant number of young people by 2050. Those aged between 0 and 24 years will witness an increase of around 50 percent. Moreover, the African game market will witness solid growth as well. It is expected that there will be more than 11 million users only in South Africa. And it is critical when it comes to gaming. Consequently, new mobile app organizations will open up the gaming market, bringing countries millions of dollars a year and new job opportunities.