African Games Industry Report: 2023

The African Games Industry Report 2023 serves as a foundational effort to map the continent’s burgeoning game development ecosystem. By providing both qualitative and quantitative analysis, the report aims to address a critical scarcity of industry data, thereby facilitating better decision-making for investors, policymakers, and developers. The initiative seeks to validate the contributions of local creators and stimulate long-term growth across the African games market.

The findings are based on a survey of 118 respondents, comprising a mix of studios (35%), independent developers (35%), studio employees (12%), and hobbyists. The data highlights that game development is currently concentrated in five primary hubs: Lagos, Nairobi, Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Accra. The industry remains largely small-scale, with 73% of participating studios employing fewer than 10 people. Financial data reveals a challenging investment landscape, as 80% of studios that secured funding raised less than $100,000. Furthermore, only nine studios across the entire continent reported generating over $100,000 in revenue in 2022.

The report also identifies significant structural and demographic challenges, most notably a pronounced gender gap, with women representing only 11% of respondents. The analysis emphasizes a mobile-centric value chain and underscores that while Nigeria produced the highest number of survey participants, only a small fraction of those entities operate as formal studios. To ensure continued visibility and progress, the organizers intend to transition this research into a recurring bi-annual project, providing ongoing updates on the industry’s evolution and potential.