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Africa’s games industry revenue generated an estimated $1 billion in 2024, primarily driven by mobile gaming which accounts for nearly 90% of the market.
That’s according to Maliyo Games’ 2025 Africa Games Industry Report, which shows that South Africa remains the leader in revenue, peaking at $115.8 million in 2022, before a slight decline to $111.9m in 2024.
Egypt saw growth up to 2021, but its revenue is projected to fall to $39.1m by 2024. Nigeria has shown the most growth, surging from $11m in 2019 to $60.9m in 2024, driven by its large and youthful population.
Tunisia and Algeria have seen fluctuating trends, with Tunisia peaking at $15m in 2021 but declining to $6.8m in 2024, and Algeria dropping from $12.5m in 2021 to $8m in 2024, highlighting changing consumer behaviours and economic factors.
Top grossing titles
While mobile remains the dominant platform in Africa, console and PC gaming are growing in countries like Nigeria, South Africa, Morocco, and Algeria, with PlayStation and Xbox both making progress.
Several games have led revenue generation through in-app purchases on Android and iOS. Leading the list is Candy Crush with $50m in revenue, followed by PUBG Mobile at $40m.
Other top performers include Roblox ($25m), Royal Match and Free Fire ($15m each), and Lords Mobile ($12m). Football-themed games like EA Sports FC and eFootball each earned $10m. 8 Ball Pool and Yalla Ludo earned $8m and $5m, respectively.
South Africa’s market is projected to grow from $266m in 2023 to $333m by 2026, fueled by mobile gaming and esports. Nigeria’s market earned $249m in 2021. Kenya’s games sector, meanwhile, generated $46m in 2021, with significant growth in mobile and a focus on AR, and VR games.
Studio numbers increase
Maliyo’s report shows that Africa now hosts around 250 game studios. Between 2023 and 2024, West Africa saw a dramatic increase in studios, growing from 12 to 57. Southern Africa grew from five to 35, while East Africa expanded from eight to 24 studios.
Central Africa saw growth from one to eight studios, and North Africa increased modestly from one to six.
You can access the full report here.
