State of the African Games Industry: 2023 Survey

Key insights

5 takeaways

01
Unity is the dominant game engine in the African market, used by 64.1% of developers, followed by Unreal at 14.5% and Godot at 8.5%.
02
Contrary to the perception that the African games industry is exclusively mobile-focused, 62% of developers build for multiple platforms, while only 23% develop exclusively for mobile and 10% for PC.
03
The survey, conducted by Maliyo Games and presented at Nordic Game, gathered data from 118 respondents across the continent, including studios (35%), indies (35%), employees (12%), and hobbyists (18%).
04
Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya represent the highest concentration of survey respondents, while North Africa remains underrepresented at only 3% of the total sample.
05
A comprehensive report detailing the full findings of this industry survey was scheduled for release in the second half of 2023.

Summary

The 2023 State of the African Games Industry survey, conducted by Maliyo Games and presented at the Nordic Game conference, provides a snapshot of the current development landscape across the African continent. The primary objective of the survey was to gather empirical data on the composition of the industry, the platforms being prioritized by developers, and the technical tools currently in use.

The findings are based on responses from 118 participants, comprising a diverse mix of studios (35%), independent developers (35%), studio employees (12%), and hobbyists (18%). Geographically, the survey highlights a concentration of activity in Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya, while noting that North Africa remains significantly underrepresented, accounting for only 3% of the total sample.

A key conclusion of the survey is that the African games industry is not exclusively focused on mobile development. While 23% of respondents build exclusively for mobile and 10% for PC, a significant majority of 62% develop for multiple platforms. Regarding technical infrastructure, Unity is the dominant game engine, utilized by 64.1% of respondents. Unreal Engine and Godot follow with 14.5% and 8.5% adoption rates, respectively. These insights serve as a preliminary overview, with a more comprehensive report scheduled for release in the latter half of 2023.