Africa’s Games Market: 2026 Forecast

Key insights

4 slides

Market overview

Africa's games market is projected to reach $1.98 billion in 2026.

This represents an 11.9% year-on-year revenue increase from $1.77 billion in 2025. This growth rate significantly outpaces more mature global markets.

Primary driver

Mobile gaming remains the primary driver of the market, accounting for $1.62 billion in 2026.

The rapid expansion is largely attributed to smartphone adoption.

Smartphones act like a universal key, unlocking gaming for many by bypassing the need for dedicated consoles or PCs.

Mobile dominance. Mobile gaming remains the primary driver of the market, accounting for $1.62 billion—or 81.8%—of total regional revenue in 2026.

$1.62 billion

Projected mobile gaming revenue in Africa for 2026.

Share of total regional revenue: 81.8%

1 / 4

Ask AI about this article

Summary

The African games market is experiencing rapid expansion, positioning the continent as a significant growth engine for the global industry. Forecasts for 2026 indicate that the market is set to surpass $2 billion in total revenue, rising from $1.77 billion in 2025 to $1.98 billion. This represents an 11.9% year-on-year increase, a growth rate that significantly outpaces that of more mature global markets.

The player base is expanding in tandem with revenue, with the number of gamers projected to grow by 9.9% in 2026, adding 36.6 million new participants to reach a total of 406.25 million. This surge follows a consistent trend of high-velocity growth, with the continent adding 57 million players between 2024 and 2026. Mobile gaming remains the primary driver of this development, accounting for 81.8% of total revenue in 2026, or $1.62 billion. The prevalence of smartphones allows the region to bypass traditional hardware barriers, enabling widespread access to gaming through existing consumer devices.

Data for these projections were compiled through a partnership between the South African games publisher Carry1st and the market intelligence firm Newzoo. Geographically, the market is led by Egypt, which is forecast to generate $458.1 million in revenue, followed by South Africa at $263.0 million and Nigeria at $226.6 million. These findings suggest that Africa is transitioning from an emerging market to a critical contributor to global gaming, particularly as growth in established regions begins to plateau.