Market Trends of Africa Gaming Industry
Improvements in Technology and Internet Network Access Driving the Market
- The enhancement of mobile technology and its associated use cases have unleashed technological evolution in the region. The surge in overall smartphone usage leading to internet adoption has further leveraged the rise in the adoption of everyday use cases such as gaming.
- 5G is one of the major drivers for the growth of smartphones, leading to a surge in competitive gaming in the region. According to Ericsson Mobility Report, in the Middle East and Africa, the total number of subscribers for 5G services may reach 60 million by 2024, representing about 3% of all mobile subscriptions in the region. GSMA also estimates there may be around 50 million 5G connections across the MENA region, of which 20 million connections could be in the Arab States alone by 2025.
- Africa's overall share of internet users has grown drastically. According to ITU, the percentage of households with internet access in South Africa is forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029, with a total rise of 16.6 percentage points. After seven consecutive years of growth, internet penetration was estimated to reach 97.38%, marking a new peak in 2029. The rise in the total number of internet users and increasing internet penetration in Africa are expected to significantly augment the market's growth.
- Additionally, the launch of various gaming smartphones by several regional companies is increasing the market's overall growth rate. For instance, MediaTek, a fabless semiconductor company, recently reiterated its commitment to providing new technology solutions to enable the rollout of future-ready smartphones in the South African market. The company announced the launch of its premium gaming chip, MediaTek Helio G95, along with its offerings across the spectrum, including G90T, G85, G80, G70, G35, and G25 chips. The products were aimed at the premium 4G gaming smartphone segment. The company has also associated with various smartphone brands such as Oppo, Xiaomi, and Infinix to launch up to 10 premium, feature-rich smartphones powered by the MediaTek Helio G series last year.
- As per Ericsson, the overall monthly smartphone data traffic per smartphone in Sub-Saharan Africa is projected to amount to 10.99 gigabytes (GB) per active device by 2027. Last year, the average data traffic per active smartphone amounted to 2.89 GB per month. This overall rise in the average data traffic per active smartphone will exponentially drive the market's growth.
Understand The Key Trends Shaping This Market
Download PDF
Nigeria Expected to Hold a Considerable Market Share
- The existence of a vast customer base of young middle-income groups is a significant aspect contributing to the rise in the gaming industry in the Nigerian market. This is further expected to create ample opportunities for the market to grow and sustain throughout the forecast period.
- Gamers in the country are shifting to social gaming, the free-to-play revenue model with downstream in-game purchases. It has become increasingly popular in the country. Also, the gaming industry in the country is bringing millions of dollars to countries per year. This is for all categories of video games: mobile, PC, Xbox, and PS. Due to such factors, Nigeria is expected to contribute substantially to the entire African market.
- Also, the gaming market in Nigeria is anticipated to witness a considerable surge in overall usage of the internet through mobile over the forecast period, with international market players injecting large-scale investments into the region. Hence, there is a constant rise in subscriptions, resulting in the growth of the mobile gaming industry within the country. For instance, in May 2024, the Nigerian federal government announced plans to reinstate telecom taxes and implement additional fiscal measures to secure a USD 750 million loan from the World Bank. This decision came nearly ten months after the government had suspended the 5% excise duty on telecommunications and the Import Tax Adjustment levy on specific vehicles.
- Moreover, the Nigerian gaming market trend is aided by improved mobile penetration. For instance, according to Hootsuite's data, the mobile penetration rate increased to 51% in 2024, owing to increased awareness through aggressive expansion and marketing by operators and technological improvements in payment platforms. Nigeria's gaming industry is fragmented, with the presence of various small market players. As user behavior changes and spending needs increase, the industry is anticipated to reach consolidation over the forecast period.
- According to the OECD, between 2024 and 2029, Nigeria is projected to experience a steady rise in mobile broadband connections, with an overall increase of 8.9 connections per 100 inhabitants, marking a 19.16% growth. Following eight years of consecutive growth, the penetration of mobile broadband is set to reach 55.3 connections, reaching a new peak in 2029. The vast majority of these connections are mobile GSM connections. This rise in the total number of active internet subscriptions in Nigeria will amplify the market's overall growth rate throughout the forecast period.
