Africa's gaming industry is shifting its focus from the number of players to building a business around them. The market is growing rapidly, with data from Carry1st and Newzoo valuing it at $1.98 billion in 2026, an 11.9% increase from the previous year. This growth rate is almost twice that of the global industry's 6.1% growth. The continent is expected to have 406.25 million gamers this year, up from 369.66 million in 2025 and 186 million in 2021.
Mobile gaming accounts for most of the market, with revenue forecast at $1.62 billion in 2026, representing 81.8% of Africa's total gaming revenue. This growth has attracted investment into systems around players, including payment infrastructure, game development capacity, and competitive events. Nigeria's first national pavilion at Gamescom in Cologne showcased game development, intellectual property, research, and community initiatives, positioning Nigerian developers in the international games industry.
Africa's large gaming audience remains relatively under-monetized, accounting for roughly 11% of the world's gamers but less than 1% of global gaming revenue. Average revenue per player remains below $5 a year, compared to about $55 globally. Newzoo expects the global games market to reach $197 billion in 2026, with 3.70 billion players and 1.65 billion spenders. The global market relies on deeper engagement and spending from existing audiences as player growth slows.
Payment access and monetization are crucial for markets with large but lower-spending player populations. Carry1st has built Pay1st, a payments platform for games and digital products that supports over 200 local payment methods across Africa. The platform allows players to make purchases without relying on international cards, using mobile money and other local payment methods widely used across African markets.
The creative side of the industry is also developing, with Nigeria's Gamescom pavilion bringing studios and developers together under a national industry proposition. Johnny Muteba, a South African creative economy and technology advocate, says gaming is part of a broader opportunity for African creators to turn local ideas and culture into globally distributed products. Africa's creative economy is valued at about $59 billion, but accounts for less than 3% of the global creative market.
Esports is creating another commercial layer around players, with continental competitions like the Carry1st Africa Cup and the PUBG Mobile Africa Esports Championship. These events offer prize pools, such as the Carry1st Africa Cup's 2026 Grand Finals in Abuja, which carried a $30,000 prize pool. Kenya is developing its own competitive pipeline, with Rescue Esports winning the PMNC Kenya 2026 championship and the Global Esports Federation selecting Kenya as its strategic hub for esports in Africa.
The growth of these events is expanding the business around gaming to include teams, organizers, sponsors, venues, broadcasters, devices, and technology providers. Device manufacturers like Infinix are moving into the market, linking their hardware to competitive gaming and the growing mobile gaming audience. The commercial opportunity is concentrated in several large markets, including Egypt, South Africa, and Nigeria, which are forecast to generate significant gaming revenue in 2026.
Key points
- Africa's gaming market is growing almost twice as fast as the global industry.
- The continent is expected to have 406.25 million gamers this year.
- Africa's gaming industry is shifting its focus from the number of players to building a business around them.
