Video gaming in South Africa

Video gaming in South Africa is the largest market in Africa.[1] The market is overtaking the market in movies and music in the country.[2]

Whilst the American market for video games has declined, it is increasing in South Africa.[3][4][5]

South Africa boasts Expos, relatively big LAN's and a growing community of gamer's. South Africa's biggest LAN event called the NAG LAN[6] of the former magazine company moved to Cape Town in 2016 which had an impressive turnout. Another LAN event was held in Cape Town which was only slightly smaller than the NAG LAN with 400 people. Although the gaming community in Cape Town is big, the uncontested giant in South African gaming is Johannesburg, with Gauteng in its entirety housing more gamer's than the rest of the country.

Compared to the rest of Africa

South Africa's video gaming compared to the rest of Africa is unchallenged due to large amounts of wealthy South Africans living in cities like Durban, Cape Town, Pretoria, Bloemfontein and Johannesburg. With internet infrastructure being more than sufficient to support the hobby. With Fibre being almost fully integrated in cities and wealthy suburban areas the growth in online gaming can only be motivated. Video game developing in the country is not doing well, but events and eSports organizations like the Digital Gaming League[7] and Orena[8] have jumped up in 2015 with the big demand for eSports tournaments and other gaming events in large cities. With gaming in schools also in the rise,[9] DF Malan High School having a team in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and nearby Durbanville High School planning to get one.

South Africa also being dominant in sport in the continent and all over the world, but the country has not made its mark on the eSport scene as the national South African team has been chosen out of incapable players who have to contend over a varied amount of games and platforms. But the Mind Sports South Africa has admitted that the gaming scene needs to mature.

References

  1. ↑ "Video gaming tops R1.7 billion". Biz. Retrieved 2012-01-21.
  2. ↑ "Local Gaming Bigger than Movies and Music?". Gaming. Retrieved 2012-01-21.
  3. ↑ "The South African Game Development Scene: Past, Present, and Future". Animation SA. Retrieved 2012-01-21.
  4. ↑ "31 May 2012: SA Video Gaming Industry Worth R1.7b". Cape Business News. Retrieved 2012-01-21.
  5. ↑ "South Africa Game Sales Continue to Rise". Gaming. Retrieved 2012-01-21.
  6. ↑ "Nag Lan". Nag Lan. Retrieved 2016-09-26.
  7. ↑ "Home". Digital Gaming League. Retrieved 2016-09-26.
  8. ↑ "Orena". Orena. Retrieved 2016-09-26.
  9. ↑ Brendyn Lotz (2015-09-17). "Mind Sports South Africa to grow eSports at schools - htxt.africa". Htxt.co.za. Retrieved 2016-09-26.


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