Africa’s gaming sector reached $1.8 billion in 2024, with mobile gaming accounting for 90% of the market. The region experienced significant growth, driven by affordable smartphones and improved internet access. Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa led the market, with competitive gaming and eSports continuing to expand.
SLT-MOBITEL has partnered with Echo System Digital Ventures to launch Playstreet, a premium gaming platform in Sri Lanka. Offering over 200 games, the platform provides an affordable and user-friendly gaming experience. It targets Sri Lankans aged 18-35 and features rewards for players, helping diversify SLT-MOBITEL’s digital services.
Ooredoo has launched an entertaining campaign highlighting its network strength. Through humorous characters representing connectivity issues, the series showcases how Ooredoo solves frustrations, especially for gamers. With local influencers in each market, the campaign emphasizes Ooredoo’s commitment to innovation and seamless connectivity, offering an upgraded user experience.
Zain Group celebrated the success of Zain Esports in 2024, hosting 50 tournaments across the Middle East. With 820,000 unique viewers and a growing social media presence, Zain continues to strengthen its esports ecosystem, focusing on expanding gaming initiatives and competitions in 2025 and beyond.
The initiative supports Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 by enhancing the local gaming sector.
In addition to capital UMX Studio will get help to support the expansion of their existing portfolio, expand their audiences across global markets, and build games in new genres.
stc Group played a crucial role in the successful debut of the Esports World Cup (EWC) in Riyadh, supporting Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 to become a global esports hub. With robust infrastructure and innovation, stc provided seamless connectivity and an ecosystem of services, reinforcing Saudi Arabia’s position in the global gaming industry.
Sony has launched the MENA Hero Project, an incubator program designed to support game developers in the Middle East and North Africa. The initiative offers mentorship, training, and project-based investment to developers in several MENA countries, aiming to lower entry barriers and showcase emerging talent in the region’s gaming market.
Google’s Director for Pakistan, Farhan S Qureshi, highlighted the growth potential of Pakistan’s app and gaming sector at Think Apps 2024 in Lahore. The event focused on equipping developers with AI tools to drive innovation. Pakistani studios are leading the field, contributing to the country’s potential $6.6 billion digital export revenue by 2030.
The CST’s “GameMode” report for Q2 2024 reveals an 85% improvement in online gaming performance in Saudi Arabia, with STC named as the Platinum Game Operator. It highlights significant enhancements in download speeds and latency across major gaming platforms, underpinning efforts to boost competitiveness and transparency in the telecom sector.
