According to data from Carry1st, an African gaming and digital content publisher, and PC and console gamer research platform, Newzoo, Africa's gaming sector experienced significant growth, reaching a revenue of $1.8 billion in 2024.
This analysis indicates that the continent's gaming industry grew 12.4% from 2023 to 2024, improving its global ranking. The region's year-over-year (YOY) growth rate reached 2.1%, six times higher than the international average.
Interestingly, mobile gaming topped the charts of African gamers, taking 90% ($1.6 billion) of the African gaming market share in 2024. Of 349 million games, 304 million were mobile, with participation growing by 32 million from the previous year.
Mobile games also dominated the total player base, accounting for 87% — a 10% year-over-year increase from 2023. This contributed to 14% year-over-year growth in the overall gaming market, which reached $1.8 billion.
The rapid growth of mobile penetration, Internet access, and innovative payment solutions in Africa has significantly aided the expansion of the gaming industry. Because smartphones are less expensive and easier to use, mobile gaming has become a more popular and cost-effective alternative to high-end consoles and computers.
In 2024, Carry1st, a major player in mobile gaming and digital content across Africa, hosted the Carry1st Africa Cup: a Call of Duty: Mobile tournament, further boosting the continent's gaming sector.
Out of the countries listed in the continent’s gaming scene, Egypt was the country that accounted for the most gamers in 2024. The gaming industry in Egypt is said to be deceptively larger than it is given credit for and was estimated to be worth over $368 million (20.4%) of the total statistical figure for Africa.
Other African countries, including Nigeria and South Africa, followed closely behind with $300 million and $278 million in revenue generated during the year.
Subsequently, Eritrea and Niger saw the highest increase in gaming revenue, indicating significant industry growth. Meanwhile, Equatorial Guinea and the Seychelles showed the slowest growth, lagging behind other countries in the region.

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Per Intelpoint, Nigeria spent over $229 million on gaming in Africa in 2023, with Egypt following closely behind at $212 million, with approximately 14.7 million gamers in Nigeria and 20.2 million in Egypt.
Africa has enormous untapped potential in games and eSports, fuelled by a rapidly growing population, particularly among its youth, who are increasingly interested in competitive gaming.
Gaming content creation has also dominated the African gaming scene. Six Nigerians competed in the Call of Duty Mobile tournament, held in Ireland in 2024, along with other African gaming experts. These pro gamers combine gaming skills with content creation, earning over $10,000 in a single tournament.
Games like CODM have gained popularity in Africa, offering more than just entertainment. With a long history of celebrating and supporting sports icons, Africa provides a promising environment for eSports players to rise to prominence quickly and secure lucrative sponsorship deals.