Africa Games Week 2024 – A Celebration of African Gaming Excellence
Africa Games Week (AGW) 2024, held from December 2nd to 5th at Workshop 17 in Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront, once again showcased the continent’s burgeoning gaming industry. The event brought together developers, artists, industry leaders, and government officials to celebrate and advance African game development.
Day 1: VIP Kick-Off
The week commenced with a VIP Day, featuring a welcome address by AGW Co-Founder Nick Hall, Rex Bowden, and a representative from the City of Cape Town. Attendees engaged in insightful sessions, including “Creative Alchemy” by Rhys Dekle and a presentation of the 2024 Games Industry Survey by Hugo Obi. The day concluded with an open-top bus tour to Groot Constantia for wine tasting and networking, providing African studios an opportunity to pitch their projects.
Days 2 & 3: Make Games Africa
The core of AGW, Make Games Africa, spanned two days dedicated to game development. Highlights included the “Translating Culture to Gameplay” panel, moderated by Kate Edwards, exploring how African mythology can inspire global gaming experiences. Sweden’s gaming journey was shared by Per Strömbäck, offering valuable lessons in industry growth and digital policy. The launch of “Games Connect Africa” aimed to unify and empower Africa’s gaming community.
Workshops and panels addressed talent development, with Joseph Wilson discussing strategies for attracting and retaining talent, and Rami Ismail and Fawzi Mesmar focusing on overcoming challenges in the Global South. The “Are We Good Enough?” panel, moderated by Nick Hall, featured African gaming industry experts tackling critical industry questions.
Day 4: Policy Conference
The final day centered on policy, featuring a panel on “How the Jobs Fund Fuels Africa’s Gaming Industry,” with insights from government officials like Sizeka Mabunda, Deputy Director: Audio-Visual at the South African Department of Sports, Arts & Culture, and Zaid Motala from the Jobs Fund. Discussions on designing sustainable game accelerators and a closed-door roundtable led by Kristian Roberts facilitated dialogue between government representatives and industry leaders on unlocking the economic potential of gaming.
Showcasing African Talent
AGW 2024 celebrated African talent, featuring developers like Eddy Camara, who develops his own game engine, and Dean Gichukie, whose Maasai-inspired game on Unreal Engine captivated attendees. Young studios like Attrybute Studio showcased their titles, while Disputed People’s flagship game, “Khamani,” received acclaim. Workshops by industry experts, including Unity’s Manuel Sainsily, provided valuable mentorship.
Africa Games Week 2024 highlighted the continent’s vibrant gaming industry, fostering connections, knowledge exchange, and showcasing African creativity. The event underscored Africa’s potential as a significant player in the global gaming landscape.
To stay up to date with Africa Games Week and their future events, check out their links below:
- Instagram: @gamesweekafrica https://www.instagram.com/gamesweekafrica/
- LinkedIn: @Africa Games Week https://bit.ly/3ZswQgN
- Website:Â https://gamesweek.africa/
