GameIndustry: 40% of South Africans play games

It’s no secret that Africa’s youth population is growing and seeking online connectivity. So far, only two countries have 5G capabilities (Kenya and South Africa), with more set to follow in the coming years.

The survey shows that mobile broadband can support sustainable growth in Africa to a large extent. For example, a 10% increase in mobile broadband penetration can drive economic growth of 0.6-2.8%; every additional 1,000 broadband users can create 80 new jobs; and doubling the average broadband speed can promote an additional 0.3% GDP growth.

The report takes a closer look at five major countries in the region (Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa) and finds that:

• South Africa has the highest gamer saturation, with 24 million people (40%) playing games out of a population of 59 million.
• 27% of Ghanaians, 23% of Nigerians, 22% of Kenyans and 13% of Ethiopians play games.
• South Africa leads other African countries with annual gross gaming revenue of $290 million in 2021; followed by Nigeria ($185 million), Ghana ($42 million), Kenya ($38 million) and Ethiopia ($35 million).
• A higher percentage of South African gamers (43%) buy games through traditional channels than Ghana and Ethiopia (33%) or Nigeria and Kenya (32%).

In 2017, 2018 and 2019, Egypt accounted for nearly 50% of the region’s gaming revenue.

Gaming company Ubisoft’s presence in Morocco continued into 2019, with revenue of $121 million.