Maliyo Games: The State of the African game industry (2024)
Power Supply & affordable fast internet are the main infrastructure requirements of African developers.
As of the end of 2022, Africa had over 287 million internet users. By 2030, this number is expected to grow to 438 million (with mobile device penetration reaching 32%).
The median age of the population in African countries is 19.7 years, compared to the global median age of 30.4 years. Africa is one of the "youngest" regions in the world.
On average, African gamers spend $6 per year on games. The spending leader is South Africa (around $12 per person per year), while residents of Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and Ethiopia spend between $2 and $5 per year.
The South African gaming market had a volume of $289.5 million in 2022, followed by Nigeria ($184.6 million), Ghana ($41.7 million), Kenya ($38.1 million), and Ethiopia ($35.2 million).
Africa is a mobile-centric region, with all revenue coming from this platform. Digital Virgo predicts an average annual growth of 13.11% from 2022 to 2025.
Carry1st is the largest African gaming company, having raised $27 million in a pre-Series B round to develop and publish games in the country. Bitkraft Ventures, a16z, Konvoy, and other well-known companies have invested in it.
In Africa, Sony Ventures, Google, and Xbox GameCamp operate, along with smaller hubs supporting developers. The main focus of major players in the market is not to miss the active growth of the market (if it occurs) or a new promising company.
African Developers
64% of developers in Africa work with Unity, 14% with Unreal Engine, and 8% choose Godot. 3% develop games using their own engines.
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78% of African developers create games for mobile devices, and 70% for PC, mainly focusing on cross-platform releases. Only 17% of developers plan to release games on consoles.
Only 36% of African developers make money from creating games; others do it as a hobby.
For 82% of African developers, uninterrupted power supply is critically important. 76% noted that they need fast and accessible internet. What about your complaints?