Africa's Mobile-First Gaming Surge

Africa’s gaming industry is experiencing explosive growth, powered by mobile-first innovation, rising digital connectivity, and a booming youth demographic. In 2024, gaming revenues across the continent reached US $1.8 billion, marking a 12.4% year-over-year increase. According to Carry1st and Newzoo, Africa’s gaming market is now expanding six times faster than the global average, with over 32 million new gamers added in 2024 alone (For context, that’s like adding the entire population of Ghana or Peru into the gaming community each year).

Out of Africa’s estimated 349 million gamers in 2024, 304 million play on mobile — underscoring the overwhelming dominance of mobile platforms. The Continent is increasing its gaming population by 10% year on year, from the 317 million total gamers recorded in 2023, to 349 million in 2024. With smartphone adoption rising and payment systems improving, Africa is cementing its place as one of the fastest-growing gaming regions worldwide. Projections from Mordor Intelligence forecast Africa’s gaming market to reach US $2.39 billion by 2025 and US $4.14 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 11.62%.

Africa’s Leading Gaming Ecosystems

When it comes to startup activity, Egypt, South Africa, and Nigeria dominate the continent. In 2024, Egypt led with 17 active gaming startups, followed closely by South Africa (15) and Nigeria (14). These same three countries also top the charts for gaming scaleups (companies that raised $1M+), pointing to the most mature and investment-ready ecosystems on the continent.

South Africa achieved gaming sector revenues of US $794 million in 2024, with a forecast CAGR of 10.3% through 2033. Meanwhile, Nigeria posted gaming revenues of US $528 million, with an expected CAGR of 8.4%, driven by mobile penetration and fintech integration.

While Kenya, Tunisia, and newer entrants like Seychelles and Cameroon show promising early-stage activity, the African gaming landscape is still evolving, offering enormous greenfield opportunities for investors, developers, and publishers looking for the next frontier.

Africa’s Growing Startup Scene: Building the Future of Gaming

Africa’s gaming startup ecosystem is at an inflection point. While overall funding volumes remain smaller than in other regions, the speed of innovation is electrifying. African gaming entrepreneurs are harnessing mobile penetration, Web3 tools, and grassroots eSports movements to leapfrog traditional barriers. From Nigeria’s rapidly growing gaming guilds to South Africa’s edtech and AR studios, startups are building locally relevant, globally scalable products. As investor interest heats up and mobile adoption deepens, Africa isn’t just catching up — it’s scripting its own playbook for gaming’s next frontier.

Founded in 2018, KingMakers operates a digital entertainment platform that enhances sports betting, casino games, and virtual sports experiences. Recently partnering with Genius Sports to deliver real-time venue content and trading services for top leagues like the Premier League and La Liga, KingMakers is betting big on the surge in live sports engagement across Africa.

Founded in 2018, South Africa’s Carry1st is revolutionizing mobile game publishing and monetization across Africa. After raising US $27 million in a Series B led by BITKRAFT Ventures, Carry1st partnered with Riot Games to expand payment solutions for African gamers—positioning itself as a regional powerhouse in the mobile gaming space.

Founded by Tra My Angel, Tracy Tan, and Yuen Wong in 2021, Gems is an eSports 3.0 aggregator platform that integrates GameFi, Metaverse, and SocialFi elements. It aims to propel eSports into the next generation by leveraging blockchain technology and creating a comprehensive ecosystem for gamers in Seychelles offering NFT rental, decentralized finance solutions, and a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO).

Founded by Aly Mahmoud and Ahmed Omran in 2017, Eksab became “the Middle-East and Africa’s first online gaming arcade“ that allows users to engage with their favorite teams and players through various games and challenges, making predictions about live football games, building their dream teams, and winning cash among other exciting prizes. With over 1.5 million registered users and 500,000+ predictions placed, Eksab has become the official partner of the Egyptian Premier League, been endorsed by the biggest names in Egyptian football, content and gaming and reached the number 1 spot in the gaming category on the App Store.

Founded in 2022 as a spin-off of Nestcoin, Metaverse Magna (MVM) is “Africa’s first and largest gaming DAO” focused on mobile gaming and Web3 gaming tools in emerging African markets, providing gamers with access to worldclass opportunities, products, and communities. Its primary product is Hyper, an eSports platform for casual gamers to play skill-based games and tournaments, allowing users to earn and redeem in-game currency, HPR, for real money.

Founded in 2021, Nigeria’s Gamic is a decentralized social platform for gamers and creators, offering a unique chat app with integrated wallets, NFT drops, and gaming communities. Gamic raised US $1.8 million in 2024, led by Fundamental Labs and YZi Labs. The round is expected to go towards expanding its Guild ecosystem and launch Gamic V3, aimed to foster inclusive communities by enabling users to connect, chat, and transact on a single ecosystem.

South Africa’s Augmentors blends augmented reality and blockchain, letting players summon, battle, and trade creatures in real-world environments. Augmentors is a gaming platform designed to offer secure, transparent, auditable, and fair gaming solutions, integrating blockchain technology and smart contracts to provide a self-sustaining ecosystem for casino gaming, lottery, and sports betting. Certified by BMM Gaming Testlab with a Sports Betting and Gambling Manufacturer’s Licenses issued by the Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board, its Betfinity Wagering Record System ensures secure and transparent betting records. The game famously secured investment from Vinny LIngham and Gil Oved on a 2016 episode of Shark Tank—as the first Bitcoin-funded deal on the show. The game has grown to over 1.4 million registered members.

Egypt-based InGame builds mobile-first gaming apps that integrate gamification into everyday activities, bridging entertainment and social engagement among Africa’s youth. Founded in 2021, the mobile platform was created for avid football fans looking for an entertaining playing experience and exciting reward schemes. While it is currently based in Egypt, it has a holding company in th eUK and had garnered over 17,000 downloads in its first year. With the US $1 million pre-seed investment it has raised, InGame plans on launching new features built on web3 infrastructure while also incorporating blockchain technology.

Founded in 2021 by Vincent Wijma, SakuraVerse is a Web3 gaming platform that develops and incubates multi-category games with long life cycles, integrating decentralized game infrastructure and social platforms, enabling players to enjoy immersive gaming experiences in the Web3 space. Having attracted more than 40 million players, SakuraVerse became the first project backed by KuCoin’s $100 million Creators Fund 2022, with an investment dedicated to supporting platform development and team expansion across SakuraVerse’ 5 studios around the world.

Founded in 2011 by Glenn Gillis and Wynand Groenewald, Sea Monster creates digital content and games using animation and augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR). Sea Monster has created over 80 impact games and 40 AR/VR solutions which focus on building brands, driving learning and communication outcomes, and entertaining through impactful digital experiences. They have also collaborated with major brands like Nedbank, Capitec, and Cipla on their digital platforms teaching entrepreneurship, financial responsibility, and healthy life choices through digital storytelling.

Africa’s Gaming Boom is Just Getting Started

Africa’s gaming market is entering a breakout phase, fueled by surging mobile adoption, youthful demographics, and an entrepreneurial spirit driving new kinds of games, experiences, and business models. While the continent’s startups are still young compared to global giants, the momentum is undeniable. Countries like Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa are not only growing local user bases—they’re building the next generation of African gaming champions.

With the right mix of capital, mentorship, and infrastructure support, Africa could soon become one of the most dynamic gaming frontiers globally. As global gaming companies turn their eyes toward emerging markets, Africa’s time to level up is now.

 

Get a round-up of the biggest gaming trends, startup breakthroughs, and investment opportunities across the Middle East and Africa in 2025, by downloading our latest Special Report, “MEA Gaming Review 2025”.