$1.8 Billion Africa’s Gaming Market Is Expanding Beyond Traditional Giants
A new industry report shows Africa’s gaming sector is soaring beyond dominant markets such as South Africa and Nigeria, with emerging hubs like Eritrea and Niger leading in revenue growth.
Bonface Orucho, bird story agency
Africa’s gaming boom is no longer limited to its largest economies. Rising mobile penetration and a growing tech-savvy population are driving the emergence of unexpected gaming hubs like Eritrea and Niger, according to a new report.
The report, an annual statistical analysis from Carry1st, a Web3 gaming publisher, and Newzoo, a provider of PC and console games market data and insights, reveals that Africa’s gaming market is growing six times faster than the global average.
According to Carry1st CEO and Co-founder Cordel Robbin-Coker, with an estimated 32 million new gamers in 2024, the vast majority on mobile, “This new data illuminates the explosive growth of Africa’s gaming market.”
“The dominance of mobile gaming, making up nearly 90% of the market, highlights the distinct path Africa is taking—leapfrogging traditional platforms. With such growth in players and spending, it’s clear that Africa is one of the few places to find secular growth in an industry that is otherwise showing signs of maturity.”
According to the analysis, the gaming market in Africa reached new heights last year valued at over US$1.8 billion, representing 12.4% YOY growth compared to 2023, outpacing global gaming growth sixfold (2.1% YOY growth).
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According to Michiel Buijsman, Principal Games Market Analyst at Newzoo, Africa’s growth “signals that the continent is catching up and its growth cannot be overlooked.”
“With a fast-growing mobile online population and 90% of its US$1.8 billion market coming from mobile gaming, it’s clear where growth opportunities can be found.”
This growth highlights Africa’s evolution from an emerging market to a major player in the global gaming industry. With widespread mobile adoption, increasing internet access, and innovative payment solutions driving expansion, Africa’s gaming market continues to grow. As global markets see slower growth, Africa’s rapid growth underlines the market’s enormous potential.
Data reveals an estimated 349 million gamers across the African continent, of which 304 million were mobile gamers.
Beyond mobile games, console and PC gaming continue to play crucial roles in the industry’s ecosystem. Maliyo Games’s State of the Industry 2025 report shows console gaming is projected to reach US$51 billion in 2025, driven by a dedicated fan base that seeks high-quality, premium experiences.
PC gaming, with its versatility and cross-platform capabilities, also captures a significant share, appealing to a broad and diverse audience.
Last year, traditional dominant gaming markets maintained leading spots in revenues, including Egypt, which led with US$368 million in revenue, Nigeria (US$300 million) and South Africa (US$278 million).
Beyond these established markets, the Carry1st-Newzoo analysis highlights a rise of new gaming hubs, with Eritrea and Niger emerging as the fastest-growing countries in gaming revenue. This trend signals a broader, more decentralized expansion of e-gaming across the continent.
Eritrea launched the country’s first PC video game in 2023. The video game, titled “18 Minutes,” recreated and spotlighted the heroic exploits of Eritrean Commandos in 1984 during the Eritrean revolution.
According to Shabait.com, the event is among the wonders of the Eritrean revolution when the commandos did the operation within eighteen minutes, which led to the destruction of 33 Ethiopian warplanes. In the video game, the player’s objectives mirror these historical achievements.
According to Yonatan Girmay, one of the developers of the video game, the team “wanted to share Eritrean history more widely.”
“Our history has not gained mainstream attention because we have not leveraged the tools available to us. By creating a video game, we can tell our story more easily and with greater reach… We have a pipeline full of projects, including software and animation projects,” Girmay explained in a 2023 interview on Shabait.com, an Eritrean outlet.
The development of projects such as ‘18 Minutes’ by homegrown engineers like Girmay confirms the sector’s growth, showcasing Africa’s rising talent and the increasing investment in locally-driven gaming innovation.
Niger is also making strides in its digital economy, expanding internet access and accelerating digital adoption. While in 2024, just over 8% of its population had made a digital payment, according to Statista, the digital payments market in the country is poised for a fintech surge. It is expected to grow by 26.75% (2025-2029) and reach US$4.09 billion by 2029.
Overall, the gaming industry is “leapfrogging traditional platforms,” according to Carry1st CEO Robbin-Coker.
A key driver of this expansion is the rising popularity of global titles among African gamers. In a 2025 Bloomberg interview, Spencer Ma, the growth lead at Carry1st, notes that games like Tencent’s ‘Valorant’ and ‘Call of Duty’ are currently widely played across the continent.
Also, first-person shooter titles such as ‘Call of Duty: Mobile, PUBG Mobile, Bloodstrike,’ and ‘Free Fire’ have also gained traction, alongside casual favorites like ‘Candy Crush’ and ‘Roblox.’
Gaming studios are also expanding beyond traditional hubs like Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa. New players are emerging in rising markets, driven by developer training programs like GameUp Africa and GameCamp, backed by Google and Microsoft.
Cameroon’s Kiro’o Games, for instance, recently made history with ‘Aurion: Legacy of the Kori-Odan’, the first African role-playing game on Xbox. The game uses African fashion, music and myths and places the story in an African fantasy setting.
Research firm Mordor Intelligence projects the Africa Gaming Market will reach US$2.39 billion in 2025 and grow at a CAGR of 11.62% to US$4.14 billion by 2030.
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