The Sub-Saharan African games market had a successful 2022, and data provider Newzoo predicts that the region is on the verge of surpassing $1 billion in gaming industry worth within the next year, with mobile gaming playing a crucial role in this growth.

Despite a slight dip in mobile gaming revenue worldwide in 2022, Africa saw an impressive 8.7% year-on-year revenue increase, with mobile gaming driving most of the success. Currently, mobile gaming constitutes a significant 90.2% of the market, reaching $778.6 million in revenue for 2022. Of this revenue, 74% came from Android users and 26% from Apple users.

A report commissioned by African publisher Carry1st forecasts a 10.6% growth in the gaming market of Sub-Saharan Africa in the upcoming year, with mobile gaming expected to outpace combined console and PC gaming revenues. By 2025, mobile gaming alone is predicted to be worth $1.25 billion, nearly three times the estimated console value of $44.2 million.

The study examined 10 major countries in the region, including Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Angola, Tanzania, Cameroon, and Uganda. Nigeria and South Africa led in games revenue for 2022, contributing double the revenue of the other eight countries combined. All countries observed year-on-year growth, with Ethiopia showing the most significant increase at 13%.

Newzoo's lead games analyst, Tom Wijman, expressed the potential of the African games market, noting that the region's growth has surpassed the global average for the last three years and is likely to continue doing so with infrastructure improvements and a growing player audience.

Carry1st CEO and co-founder, Cordel Robbin-Coker, highlighted the significance of the report, as it provides reliable data on the African market, which has been historically challenging to obtain. With an increasing number of internet users and the rapid adoption of digital payments, Africa is positioned to follow Southeast Asia's footsteps and become a major player in the global gaming industry.

Newzoo's projections also indicate that paid competitive mobile gaming will generate $16 billion by the next year, considering that 79% of all gamers currently play on their phones.

Source: Aaron Astle, Staff Writer at PocketGamer