Marketing Media Money: The Expansion of the Gaming Industry in Africa
Africa's gaming market reached the $1 billion mark in 2024. This positive reception has allowed more streamers and gamers on the continent to continue to create and develop in this emerging industry.
The Biggest Opportunity in Gaming Has Little to do with Advertising
Gaming in Africa is growing by six times the world average and is now a 1.8 billion dollar industry in its own right, according to Carry1st, Africa’s leading publisher of games and digital content, and Newzoo, the world’s top supplier of PC and console game market data and insights in its annual statistical report. There will be an estimated 32 million new players in Africa; most who will play on mobile devices.
The ground floor is still open. “What we have now is just really a foundational phase”, says Lindsey Rayner, Managing Director at Levergy (part of The Up&Up Group).
We are entering a window period where brands can actually shape how they connect with gamers, rather than just shouting at them.
Gaming is a Media Channel and a Community, not a Toy
If you don’t have clarity on positioning for what your brand wants to be well-known for, you’re probably not going to get much impact because you’re not where you need to be in the audience’s time. You might be showing up on the screen, but not at the right moment or with the right messaging that actually matters to gamers.
“This is really the new opportunity from a media perspective, it’s not just about entertainment, it’s about connecting with those audiences,” Rayner explains.
Gaming is a loud and highly social community. The days of an isolated teenager playing FIFA alone in the dark are an outdated stereotype.
“It’s actually quite a dynamic community… they come in large groups… play together whether that’s digital or live events,” Rayner notes.
The Golden Rule is to Amplify, Not Interrupt
Brands can no longer force a 30-second unskippable ad down a gamer's throat and expect them to buy what you’re selling. They will hate you for it. 50,000 views on an ad mean absolutely nothing if the players are actively resenting your brand for interrupting their stream. If you interrupt their experience, you will definitely be swiped past.
“The little nuance on that is to amplify their passion and not necessarily to interrupt it,” Rayner says.
Gamers are protective of their culture and space. “The gaming fraternity is quite sensitive in terms of how you engage with them.”
What to do Differently
In the gaming industry, community-first always comes out on top. Instead of buying ad space, buy into their culture, their needs and their time. Truly transformative brands shift their narrative from isolated campaigns to living ecosystems.
- The wrong route is meaningless impressions. This is where traditional performance marketing metrics fall short. "You can’t use those kinds of traditional ROI metrics," warns Rayner.
- Support their culture. Consider sponsoring grassroots events, backing local developers or giving in-game value players actually want.
- As Rayner says, “The brands that have been most successful are the ones that partner with… and amplify that passion and create communities around the gaming.”
“It really comes down to what your objectives are as a brand and what you’re hoping to achieve,” Rayner advises. It requires intentional planning. “I wouldn’t say there’s a specific silver bullet… it is really about putting together a gaming strategy.”
Understanding the Gaming Community
If you want to reach Gen Alpha or Gen Z gamers, you have to realise that their screens have shifted permanently. Gaming isn’t competing with TV; it’s the new TV.
They aren't watching series; they are building new digital worlds and watching Twitch streams.
Rayner adds, “If you’re not connecting with them, you won’t be in their consideration set.”
Brands that want to market in the gaming space need to evolve and adapt or simply age out alongside their television audiences. Gaming in Africa is a shift in how attention is earned. It’s about respecting culture, adding value and building with the community.
If your brand needs to navigate this foundational shift without alienating the very community you want to reach, then passion-led marketing strategies are the only logical next step to explore.
Your brand needs to matter in the moments that count. Let’s build a strategy that earns its place.
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