Africa’s gaming and digital leisure business is within the midst of an unprecedented surge, with Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa main the cost. According to PwC’s Africa Entertainment and Media Outlook 2025–2029, these three markets collectively generated greater than $600 million in gaming income in 2024. The report attributes this spectacular momentum to cellular connectivity, a youthful inhabitants, and increasing entry to digital funds—traits now defining Africa’s leisure future.
Expanding Revenues Across Key Markets
South Africa stays the continent’s greatest leisure and media hub, producing roughly $296 million in gaming income in 2024, with a projected compound annual progress charge (CAGR) of 4.6% via 2029.
Nigeria adopted intently with $176 million, exhibiting the quickest progress charge at 7.4%, whereas Kenya contributed $153 million and is projected to broaden at 6.9% CAGR. PwC famous that the trio’s robust trajectory displays “the fast expansion of mobile gaming and esports across the continent,” confirming their dominance in Africa’s digital economic system.
South Africa’s National Gambling Board (NGB) added additional context by reporting a playing turnover of R1.5 trillion ($86 billion) for the 2024/25 monetary yr—a rise from R1.1 trillion the yr prior. Online betting was answerable for about 60% of the nation’s gross playing income, with total GGR climbing to R75 billion ($4.3 billion), up from R59.3 billion a yr earlier. Betting, together with on-line wagering, accounted for roughly 70% of that complete, reaching R52.3 billion, whereas casinos contributed round R16.6 billion, or 22% of the full.
Mobile Gaming and Esports Drive Engagement
PwC highlights that “rising smartphone adoption, improved internet connectivity and digital payment solutions” have been instrumental in fueling this digital evolution. South Africa’s esports scene continues to mature with large-scale tournaments, Nigeria’s mobile-first gaming economic system is attracting overseas funding, and Kenya’s influencer-led gaming neighborhood is gaining traction amongst youthful audiences.
The 2025–2029 PwC report identifies Nigeria because the fastest-growing leisure and media market on the continent, buoyed by web promoting, OTT providers, and gaming. Kenya, though smaller in market dimension, is residence to the world’s fastest-growing web promoting sector, increasing at an annual charge of 16%. These developments illustrate a continent-wide digital shift the place leisure, promoting, and gaming intersect.
Beyond Gaming: A Broader Digital Revolution
PwC’s examine goes past gaming, exhibiting Africa’s total digital leisure sector surpassing $1 billion in 2024. Combining gaming, OTT streaming, and stay music revenues, this milestone indicators an increasing leisure economic system more and more outlined by cellular innovation. South Africa is projected to keep up over 75% of the regional OTT subscriber base via 2029, with Kenya and Nigeria anticipated so as to add almost two million new subscriptions collectively over the subsequent 5 years.
Esports can also be on an upward trajectory, with Africa poised to slender the hole with world markets as infrastructure and funding proceed to strengthen. PwC’s projections counsel that cellular gaming will stay the dominant platform, supported by reasonably priced units and digital microtransactions.
Connectivity and Technology Fueling Growth
According to PwC, connectivity stays a basic progress driver. Nigeria now counts greater than 107 million web customers, whereas Kenya’s cellular connections exceed its inhabitants. In South Africa, video content material accounts for over three-quarters of complete information utilization, reflecting the rising urge for food for digital media. Improved 4G and increasing 5G protection are accelerating this shift, opening the door for immersive leisure experiences that merge gaming, streaming, and social media.
This digital transformation is strengthened by generative AI adoption, which PwC notes is “enhancing content creation, recommendation engines and customer engagement.” Media corporations in South Africa are already experimenting with AI instruments for personalization, whereas startups throughout the continent develop local-language content material to broaden accessibility and cultural illustration.
Africa’s Next Digital Frontier
As the Africa Entertainment and Media Outlook 2025–2029 concludes, Africa’s leisure panorama is “fast, focused and future-ready.” With mobile-first customers, increasing broadband entry, and artistic monetization fashions via cellular funds, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa have positioned themselves on the coronary heart of a digital revolution. From gaming and esports to OTT streaming and promoting, Africa’s leisure ecosystem is on observe for sustained transformation and long-term progress.
Source:
Africa Entertainment and Media Outlook 2025–2029, pwc.co.za, 2025.
