The report by Carry1st projects that the Sub-Saharan Africa gaming market will surpass $1 billion by 2024, with an estimated growth rate of 10.6% in the subsequent year. This growth will be predominantly driven by the mobile game industry, which is expected to outperform console and PC gaming.
An earlier report issued in 2021 by Newzoo and Carry1st indicated a potential 728% growth in the games industry in Sub-Saharan Africa over a decade.
Key findings from the report include:
- Mobile gaming generated $778.6 million in revenue in 2022.
- Overall gaming revenue in Africa will exceed $1 billion within a year.
- The African mobile game industry is expected to generate $1.1 billion in revenue by 2025, sustaining growth from 2023 to 2025.
- By 2023, the African mobile gaming market is projected to surpass the PC gaming market nearly tenfold.
The report also focuses on ten major countries in the region, revealing that all ten countries exhibited year-on-year growth. Nigeria and South Africa contribute twice the revenue of the other eight top countries combined. Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Angola, Tanzania, Cameroon, and Uganda are among the ten major countries in the region.
Cordel Robbin-Coker, CEO and Co-founder of Carry1st commented:
“Historically, it has been nearly impossible to obtain reliable data on the African market, so we’re pleased to partner with Newzoo to share this report. This latest data demonstrates that Africa continues to be the fastest-growing mobile gaming market in the world. This trend is particularly notable as Western markets are witnessing signs of slowed growth, and even decline.”
Robbin-Coker added, “With a substantial increase in internet users and the rapid adoption of digital payments, Africa is well-positioned to follow in the footsteps of Southeast Asia and emerge as a major player in the global game industry.”
Tom Wijman, Lead Games Analyst at Newzoo, stated:
“The African games market showcases immense potential. Over the past three years, its growth has surpassed the global average, and this trend is expected to continue in the coming years. However, it is also a challenging region for achieving success. Sub-Saharan Africa constitutes 7% of the global player audience, but its players contribute less than half a percent of global gaming revenues.”
Wijman emphasized the importance of infrastructural improvements to support Africa’s growing player audience and the adoption of digital payment methods within gaming platforms to convert players into paying gamers. Additionally, he noted that local success stories like Carry1st and the creation of localized content will play a significant role in expanding the region’s gaming market in the years ahead.
