Article written by Okechukwu Chukwuebuka
With online gaming continuing to explode in popularity as it permeates each corner of the earth, Africa is no different. Despite a relatively shaky start, the online gaming scene in the continent is expected to reach new heights in the coming years. With online gaming operators eyeing Africa as a lucrative region for growth and expansion, it is set to become the latest destination for online sports betting fans from all over the world. Continue reading to familiarise yourself with the online gaming scene in Africa.
A brief overview
In Africa, the online gaming industry has undergone a rapid surge in popularity. This is largely due to a sharp rise in smartphone and smart device ownership as well as the development of sports spectatorship and sports betting. This has also driven the popularity of online gaming in the long run.
For example, according to a recent report, gaming expenditure in the content reached R3,060 million, or £1,539 million, in 2017 alone. Whilst this only accounts for 2.37% of entertainment and media expenses in South Africa during that year, the video game sector in south Africa also experienced the largest year-on-year growth compared to alternative entertainment and media sectors such as books, magazines, cinema, music, and podcasts.
Africa may be considered an underdeveloped continent, but this has only spurred online gaming operators to expand their offerings into the region with never-before-seen titles packed with the most powerful good luck charms and symbols.
A rise in modern technology
As well as the introduction of online gaming for entertainment purposes, the sector has also merged with the steady development of artificial intelligence in the continent. With a number of similarities between the two seemingly distinct industries, they have joined forces to test and develop the emergence of artificial intelligence for future use. For example, OpenAI is a non-profit artificial intelligence research organisation designed to promote the societal and humanitarian benefits of digital technology. It also supports the emergence and development of technology that is continuing to drive the modern world such as robotics, virtual reality, and the internet. With only a handful of online gaming companies headquartered in South Africa, the most common gaming platform in the country continues to be a personal computer.
A lack of digital technology coupled with relatively high data costs may be a prohibiting factor when it comes to the inevitable shift to mobile platforms and the rise of the online gaming scene in Africa.
A great opportunity
With the demand for online gaming platforms in Africa steadily increasing, this can be a great opportunity for overseas online gaming developers to get involved. The current approach to gaming in the continent is free-to-play.
This has allowed a growing number of players to get involved in ways that they would otherwise be unable to afford. As a result, gaming developers tend to release early versions of up-and-coming games at no cost in exchange for honest, valuable feedback that aids future development and allows them to adjust their strategy as necessary going forward.
Whilst subsequent levels and virtual bonuses may come at a price, players will be more likely to splash out for gaming content that they have previously had a taste of. This also paves the way for the online gaming scene to flourish in South Africa as well as in the wider continent as a whole.
Future challenges
As well as presenting itself as a great opportunity for online gaming developers, there are also a number of future challenges involved. With the history of online gaming in Africa somewhat sparse, it has, historically, only been enjoyed by middle-class families that engaged with gaming in one form or another from a young age.
This is largely due to the fact that the online gaming industry, as it stands, is too underdeveloped and underfunded to serve as a viable career path. It is also worth noting that the current free-to-play approach that is adopted throughout the continent is only suitable for employees that are financially stable enough to endure periods of no or low income. In order to ensure future investment for the online gaming industry, it must be viewed as a worthwhile career path with relevant information and training provided to interested participants.
Despite decades worth of progress and development, the online gaming scene in Africa is still in its infancy. With a clear lack of funding and investment, it is yet to be viewed as a viable career path on the continent. With the right support and technical emergence, however, Africa could be the next global hub of online gaming.