Africa’s gaming market is expected to reach $1bn this year
TLDR
- Sub-Saharan African gaming industry to surpass $1 billion by 2024, according to Newzoo data.
- Number of gamers in sub-Saharan Africa rose to 186 million in 2021, reflecting increased internet access and affordable smartphones.
- Games sold in the region generated $862.8 million in revenue in 2022, defying the global contraction in the games market.
The sub-Saharan African gaming industry is expected to generate over $1 billion for the first time in 2024, according to data from research firm Newzoo.
Gamers in sub-Saharan Africa increased to 186 million in 2021 from 77 million in 2015, per data from Newzoo, with 95% of the market on mobile phones, reflecting the continent’s improved internet access and affordable smartphones.
In 2022, games sold in the region generated $862.8 million in revenue, up 8.7% year over year, according to Newzoo’s data. That’s in defiance of a broader contraction, with the global games market declining 4.3% in 2022 to $182.9 billion.
Key Takeaways
The figures, which Newzoo compiled, suggest a buoyant market for gaming in Africa, where economic growth has been sluggish as the region grapples with lingering inflation, tough financial conditions, and high net debt. Sub-Saharan Africa’s economic growth rate dipped to 3.6% in 2022 from 4.1% in 2021, according to the World Bank. And it was forecast to fall further in 2023, to 3.1%. Despite that, Africa’s video game market has been doing well, boosted by the adoption of smartphones and a higher-than-normal young population strongly embracing digital technology.
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