Africa’s growing e-sports market was recently valued at $66 million, according to data analytics company Stears.
The e-sports industry — which comprises at-home amateur video game players as well as those playing in transnational competitions — is expanding at six times the global rate across the continent, with Stears estimating that Africa was home to 350 million players in 2024. Online mobile gaming makes up 95% of users.
While this has largely been driven by increased internet access in the world’s youngest continent, there continue to be technology obstacles for players: “A good amount of e-sports is rooted in online multiplayer games and Africa doesn’t exactly have the best infrastructure,” one Accra-based professional player told The Guardian, referring to internet connectivity and speeds. African players “are at a heavy disadvantage.”