In celebration of Women’s Month, the South African gaming and tech community marked a milestone with the very first Girls Game Jam SA 2025, hosted by Nicky Visentin and 24bitgames. This initiative was designed to empower and inspire young women across South Africa, giving them a chance to explore exciting career opportunities in IT and game development.

The event took place on 9 August 2025 at St Andrews School for Girls, bringing together 16 participants from all-girls’ schools nationwide. Sponsored by Global Game Jam and France in South Africa, the learners were introduced to the fundamentals of game design and challenged to create their very own games from scratch using beginner-friendly tools.

By the end of the day, the creativity of these future developers shined through with the release of 8 original games, namely:

1. The Buttered Uprising https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1205106075

2. Battle for France https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1205108332

3. Bakery Breakout https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1205108880

4. Le Meow’s Little Hunt https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1205109216

5. Madame Cat Catch https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1205164880

6. Madame’s Evil Cat https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1205110438

7. Berets and Baguetteshttps://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1205111638

8. The Mystical Adventures of Le Meow https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1205108913

This collaboration highlighted the power of creativity, innovation, and teamwork among learners. To further celebrate their achievements, the winners will also attend Playtopia 2025, where they’ll meet industry leaders and gain firsthand insight into the future of gaming.

Looking ahead, the vision for Girls Game Jam SA is to expand its reach to more schools across the country, enabling young women to participate in global game jams and even experience visits to both indie and AAA game studios.

The success of this inaugural event is a powerful reminder that women in gaming are here, thriving, and ready to shape the industry’s future. With initiatives like these, the representation of women in game development is set to grow stronger year by year.

Stay connected with the Girls Game Jam and follow their journey: 

• Instagram: 24bitgames

• Website: 24bitgames.com