When talking about the video game market and more specifically eSport, Africa is seen as a continent apart or even set aside. Most of the time, you hear about Asian, European or American pro gamers without doubting for a single moment that the cradle of humanity is also a land of gaming that could well become the future of eSport because 50% of the world population will be African by 2050. I leave it to you to imagine the potential power of the continent. Let’s stop speaking in the conditional and observe the present to conjugate the future.
Internet has abolished borders, reducing distances significantly. Also, a game has no border and constantly travels to be played as well in Taipei as in Abidjan. No one will therefore be surprised to know that eSports tournaments are also played in Africa. As proof, Orange organized the CAN Esport, the eSport counterpart of the Africa Cup of Nations, which was played on the game PES under the name Orange Football Club eSport tournament. This tournament brought together more than 1000 players across 8 countries.
Subsequently, Morocco organized its local League of Legends tournament spanning several months with a cash prize of 100,000 Dirhams and a qualifying spot for the Africa Game Show . Before that, it was Algiers which hosted its tournament with teams from the Maghreb, both male and female. In total, 124 players from North Africa with a cash prize of 1 million dinars. An event organized by the NACL (North African Cyber League), which organizes a considerable number of tournaments across the Maghreb and has taken over social networks, including YouTube, to broadcast its events and promote esport.
South Africa then organized a major competition with a cash prize of more than 100,000 dollars and unprecedented media coverage in Africa (527 accredited media). This event took place from October 6 to 8 during the 15th edition of the rAge Expo .
In a short while, Madagascar will see its second edition of the Tana Games Week. An event in a country that has perfectly structured its eSport offer. The Prize Money will be considerable at the national scale and there too, communication is perfectly orchestrated (We will cover the event for EsportsAfrica).
On the same date, Abidjan will shake the continent with the FEJA (Fédération de l’Electronique et du Jeu vidéo d’Abidjan), the biggest eSport event on the continent. Indeed, 50,000 gaming enthusiasts are expected and 256 players will compete until the final for a cash prize of 10,000 euros.
Sponsors, increasing cash prizes, pro gamers—eSport is generating such enthusiasm on the African continent that competitions planned months in advance cannot cope with the influx of participants. This phenomenon has resulted in having to delay many previously mentioned events by 2 weeks or even 2 months. Organizers had planned everything except the passion of hardcore gamers and pro gamers.
These famous African pro gamers structure themselves into associations and then into leagues. They spend hours training like their counterparts in the rest of the world. No gaming house except in South Africa with the White Rabbit Gaming House https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eq4EfTcajFA. It is therefore after school or work that players train to win as many titles as possible. A consuming passion, an insatiable thirst for trophies, but above all, the love of gaming as an engine.
A tour of African gamers!
In Morocco first, the team The Black Lotus dominates the country on the very famous League of Legends. Note that the country has just acquired a professional esport league thanks to the telephone operator Inwi.
Next comes Algeria and its pro team Taigun, born thanks to NACL. Added to this is Limitless GG, a UK structure that recruits Algerian players such as Tedj « Saliom » Nemoura for his domination of the game Hearthstone.
Tunisia is not to be outdone with Armoured Brothers, the best League of Legends team in the Maghreb. They are training hard for the World Video Game Championships which will take place in November 2017 in Busan, South Korea. We wish them good luck.
Since we are talking about world championships, we cannot refrain from mentioning the Egyptian team Anubis, whose members can be considered pioneers of professional gaming in Africa, and who reached 5th place in the World Video Game Championships held in Jakarta in 2016. They will return to the World Championships in Busan to defend their colors on League of Legends.
Direction Cameroon to see that team Black Otakus is very active in all tournaments. More than an esport team, it wants to promote Cameroon and more broadly Africa on a global scale. A “nolimit mindset” that could give wings to anyone. Pictured here is SEN-GAMES (an association of gamers in Senegal).
In South Africa Bravado Gaming are not left behind and can even be proud to have stood up to a team like the famous Team LDLC. Bravado Gaming is much more than a team but an organization and an esport brand born in 2006 to popularize esport in the region and bring together progamers and fans under the same banner.
Youth is undoubtedly the strength of the African continent. Which could constitute future pro gamers.
In the same movement, we should note the progressive creation of esport federations in several African countries such as Tunisia, Egypt, South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Ghana, Algeria, Morocco. These federations are therefore capable of federating, organizing large events but also allowing players to professionalize.
To this, we can add productions from African studios such as nukedcockroach and its very frenetic MOBA Veterans. Also noteworthy is Kiroo Games in Cameroon with the excellent Aurion, an RPG set entirely in Africa which adopts all the cultural codes of its environment. If you dream of discovering Madagascar, the studio Lomaytech allows you to do so at the wheel of a high-cylinder car in a demonic race. The list of quality studios is still very long and VR is beginning to be exploited. Finally, the Algerian studio Xeris will also seduce you with its addictive and creative games.
Pro gamers, tournaments meeting phenomenal success, players being exported… Africa is the next Esport continent!
