Mobile Gamers are behind the Rise of Gaming in sub-Saharan Africa

A 2021 study commissioned by Newzoo, a games analytics company and Carry1st, a South African gaming platform, shows that the number of gamers in sub-Saharan Africa has risen to 186 million people from 77 million in 2015. With 24 million gamers, South Africa tops the continent having 40% of its population playing followed by Ghana (27%) and Nigeria (23%) in second and third places respectively. Kenya and Ethiopia finish fourth and fifth in the continent with 22% and 13% of their population into gaming respectively. Majority of the playing population (95%) are mobile gamers with the covid-19 pandemic and increasing digitization across the continent said to be the biggest drivers to the numbers. Developers are fast adding new elements, with ownership being the latest addition allowing gamers to own characters and assets within the games- leveraging on block chain technology. Instead an enforced savings mechanisms has been developed to redirect the earnings towards long-term saving instruments like pension schemes, health, and education insurance – helping to shore up low savings culture among youth in Africa and build up their financial resilience.

SOURCE: QUARTZ AFRICA