Africa's gaming industry is growing steadily but faces significant challenges despite the creativity and commitment of developers. Afrobeat and African cinema have achieved global success, but video games from the continent remain largely unknown internationally.
Nigerian studio Maliyo Games is striving to change this. Founder Hugo Obi, creator of the mobile game Disney Iwájú: Rising Chef, aims to bring African-developed games to global audiences. The game introduces players to Nigerian food culture through street food like jollof rice and puff-puff. Obi’s vision is to establish pathways for aspiring African developers to thrive in the gaming industry.
Obi highlights structural barriers, including limited access to resources and training. Most developers in Africa are self-taught due to the absence of university programs in game design and development. Initiatives like GameUp Africa and GameCamp, supported by Google and Microsoft, are helping to address these gaps but cannot fully replace formal education. Other hurdles include expensive high-end PCs, unstable power supplies, slow internet, and a lack of government support or funding.
The African gaming community is vibrant, with over 186 million gamers across sub-Saharan Africa, a figure projected to rise to 212.7 million by 2027. Most players use smartphones, as consoles and PCs are less common due to their cost. Despite this growing audience, Africa’s game developers struggle with distribution and gaining international recognition.
Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa host the majority of Africa's gaming studios, programming for smartphones, PCs, and consoles to attract global players. Some games have already showcased the continent’s storytelling potential, such as Cameroon’s Aurion: Legacy of the Kori-Odan, which incorporates African myths, music, and fashion into a fantasy setting.
Industry leaders like Obi and Bukola Akingbade, CEO of Kucheza Gaming in Nigeria, stress the importance of telling Africa’s stories through games. Akingbade notes that video games are a dominant medium for younger generations, emphasizing the need for Africa to have a voice in the global gaming landscape. Despite challenges, developers remain determined, believing in gaming’s potential to provide livelihoods and share African culture with the world.
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