Color Chase and Ma3 Simulator Win Prototype Honours at 2026 Fak’ugesi Awards

Key insights

6 slides

Festival overview

The 2026 Fak’ugesi African Digital Innovation Festival recognized emerging game prototypes.

The festival, held in Johannesburg, highlighted contributions to the African gaming landscape.

Key Event. The Fak’ugesi African Digital Innovation Festival in Johannesburg presented awards to emerging African game development talent.

Crowdfunding success

'Ma3 Simulator' raised KES 25,000 through a community-led crowdfunding campaign.

The funding was split between local and international backers. It supported the development of additional content, including new routes and vehicles.

Funding Achieved. 'Ma3 Simulator' successfully raised KES 25,000 through a live crowdfunding campaign on Jiwe IO.

KES 25,000

Total crowdfunding for 'Ma3 Simulator'

Local backers: KES 10,000
International backers: KES 15,000

1 / 6

Ask AI about this article

Summary

The 2026 Fak’ugesi African Digital Innovation Festival, held in Johannesburg, recognized two emerging game prototypes for their contributions to the African gaming landscape. The awards highlight the growing role of community-driven platforms in fostering visibility and development for independent studios across the continent.

SafeDollar Studios’ title, Color Chase, secured the Multiplayer Prototype of the Year award following a public voting process on the Jiwe IO platform. The game, a collection of ten two-player minigames developed in Unity, earned a US$200 development grant alongside its recognition. Meanwhile, Kenyan developer Zawadi Games received the Prototype of the Year award for Ma3 Simulator, a title centered on the operation of local public transport minibuses. This project previously achieved financial success through a community-led crowdfunding campaign on Jiwe IO, which raised KES 25,000 to support the development of additional content, including new routes and vehicles.

These accolades underscore the effectiveness of community engagement in bridging the gap between early-stage development and broader audience reach. By leveraging platforms like Jiwe IO for both validation and funding, developers are successfully navigating the challenges of the African game development ecosystem. The Fak’ugesi festival, hosted by Wits University’s Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct, continues to serve as a critical venue for honoring excellence in digital creativity, including video games, animation, and XR, further professionalizing the regional industry.