From youngsters at school to adults studying, Africa’s population is attempting to make waves in the gaming industry. Aspiring developers are everywhere, marketers are helping to promote some of the continent’s finest titles to wider audiences, and we’re seeing mobile game publishers taking on new employees as they aim to expand their operations. As a result, it’s an exciting time for Africa’s games industry right now.
Gaming startups are also beginning to emerge and become respected names in Africa and around the globe. There is certainly an appetite for enhanced gaming offerings in this part of the world, with people everywhere assessing the latest gaming technologies, such as virtual reality gaming, while also dabbling in hit mobile titles like Subway Surfers and using their tablets to explore casino online and the plethora of products that can be enjoyed. As such, it comes as no surprise to see African gaming startups gathering serious momentum in recent times, given the overall appeal of gaming in 2024.
Carry1st recently raised $27 million
A company that is clearly on a mission to take over, Africa’s influence on the gaming sphere is perhaps best illustrated by Carry1st’s recent rise. The South Africa-based startup was founded in 2018 and has big plans to develop, license, and fund games. The company’s ambitious aims were supported by funding of $27 million in a pre-Series B round, resulting in the largest fundraiser any African gaming startup has ever achieved. With the cash injection from 2022 and 2023 helping Carry1st get closer to achieving its goals, plus some more recent investment from Sony, it’s a company to keep tabs on now and in the future.
Scorefam is an exciting company
Since being founded in 2020, Lagos-based Scorefam has achieved notable success with its play-to-earn NFT-based sports gaming platform. Raising around $25 million from investors who have bought into the company’s vision, Scorefam’s rise feels inevitable. Using tools like SSL, analytics, and JavaScript to power their products, Scorefam is one of Africa’s finest gaming startups.
Egyptian e-sports platform Gbarena has big plans
After Gbarena entered an agreement to acquire Tunisia-based Galactech in a share swap deal valued at $15 million, expansion was on the horizon. The company, which is essentially behind an e-sports gaming platform, has since expanded into the North African market and looks set to experience further growth. After all, e-sports gaming is only going to get bigger and therefore more lucrative as a result, making companies like Gbarena having clear potential.
Kiro’o Games is a Cameroonian name
Although Kiro’o Games hasn’t managed to achieve the same type of investment as some of the other startups on the list, the company has experienced some notable triumphs. Working out of Cameroon, the video game studio was the first of its kind when it was founded in 2013, resulting in $655,000 worth of funding from various sources. With a team of young African bright minds behind it, the company is behind plenty of hit titles. The likes of Aurion: legacy of the Kori-Odan is just one of them, with some Kiro’o Games’ plethora of releases even managing to achieve global success.
GameZBoost was founded in 2007
(Image via https://x.com/GameZBoost)
Although GameZBoost has been making big plans since 2007, it’s in more recent times where the company is predicted to reach its full potential. Founded in South Africa, GameZBoost’s offers white label gaming solutions for hyper-casual, casual, single and multiplayer HTML 5 mobile games. Given the popularity of smartphone gaming in Africa, bigger things are expected of GameZBoost in the coming years, with the company pulling in gamers thanks to its engaging titles and other competitive options like tournaments.