Africa’s gaming industry grew almost six times faster than the global average last year, spurred by demand for entertainment on mobile phones including staples such as Candy Crush and Roblox.
The market expanded 12% to $1.8 billion in revenue from a year earlier, outpacing the 2.1% worldwide increase, ADG Technology Inc., a New York-based mobile-gaming publisher known as Carry1st, and San Francisco-based Newzoo LLC said in an annual analysis published Wednesday.
The gaming community on the continent climbed 10% to 349 million players, and 89% of revenue came from mobile, the analysis showed.
Africa is home to the fastest growing and most youthful population in the world, with tech-savvy youngsters that have more access to smartphones increasingly using their devices to bridge gaps in services. Falling data costs, faster internet connections, and more dedicated gaming servers mean that the gaming experience has improved for consumers.
The continent is “leapfrogging traditional platforms,” and is one of the few places registering growth in an industry that’s “otherwise showing signs of maturity,” Carry1st Chief Executive Officer Cordel Robbin-Coker said.
Egypt topped the table for gaming revenue at $368 million last year, followed by Nigeria at $300 million and South Africa at $278 million, the data showed. Eritrea and Niger emerged as the fastest-growing countries, while Equatorial Guinea and Seychelles were the slowest.
Gamers in Africa enjoy global titles like Tencent Holdings Ltd.’s Valorant and Call of Duty, said Spencer Ma, the growth lead at Carry1st.
First-person shooter games such as Call of Duty: Mobile, PUBG Mobile, Bloodstrike, and Free Fire have also become popular, together with staples such as Candy Crush and Roblox, he said.
“These titles are frequently seen in African eSports competitions and continue to rise in popularity among gamers,” Ma said.
