Despite the fact that it is still a relatively young sector, the Kenyan gaming market is growing in strength. According to estimates, the video game industry was worth 83 million US dollars in 2018, but by 2023, it is projected to have grown to 153 million US dollars.
Additionally, the total social online gaming industry in Kenya is expected to be worth 55 million U.S. dollars in 2023, an increase from the projected value of 24 million U.S. dollars in 2018. There are a number of distinct reasons contributing to this increase. Some are unique to Kenya, while others are applicable across the continent.
Population under the age of thirty-five
Among the statistics that may be applied across the whole continent is the proportion of young people in the overall population. Africa is the only area in the globe where the young population is quickly rising, and it is the fastest growing in the world. By 2050, the number of young people in Africa between the ages of 0 and 24 will have increased by almost 50%! When it comes to gaming as a whole, and all of its particular subsections such as online gaming and gambling, mobile gaming, esports, and so on, Africa’s young are crucial to the continent’s future.
Because video gaming is still a prohibitively expensive activity for most Kenyans, thanks to taxes that have driven up the cost of consoles and kept the average young Kenyan from participating, most local gamers must rely on gaming lounges, which are now set up almost everywhere in the country, or on mobile gaming.
Smartphones are becoming more popular.
Mobile gaming accounts for almost half of the total income generated by the gaming industry in Africa on an annual basis. Kenya, on the other hand, stands out for having a very high internet penetration rate for an African nation – 43 percent, which is unprecedented. And the overwhelming majority of internet users in the nation access the internet via their mobile devices.
According to a 2019 study by the Communications Authority of Kenya, over eight million Kenyans possess smartphones, according to the report. As a result, for the vast majority of regular Kenyans, gaming is synonymous with their cellphones, rather than the other way around. This also brings about more convenient internet access, as well as more rapid consumption of social media content.
At long last, it seems as if mobile games are becoming the go-to therapeutic treatment for the ordinary Kenyan, since gaming activity on cellphones has increased dramatically since the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus. The rapid increase may be linked to the introduction of higher-quality cellphones into the Kenyan market, as well as the fact that many Kenyans are keeping themselves occupied while shielding themselves from the corona virus epidemic.
The Increase in the Number of People Playing Online Gambling
Kenya’s online gaming industry is exploding at the moment, and this is a good thing. As a consequence of the enormous digitization that has occurred, Kenya has emerged as a unique player in the African gambling business scene. This stems from its status as one of the first nations in Africa to allow all kinds of betting and casino games.
In addition, the state is home to one of Africa’s most well-known online betting companies, SportPesa, which is headquartered in Nairobi. Since its inception in 2014, the business has evolved to become a household name throughout Africa and Europe, having a presence in over 30 countries. Following their passion for sports betting, and as a result of the fast growth in the number of mobile phone users, the popularity of online casino sites in Kenya has grown dramatically, with games such as mobile Blackjack, Roulette, Poker, and Slots being the most often played.
Celebrities in the world of esports
Kenyan gaming lounges have created a number of gaming heroes and helped to establish the esports sector in the country. Esports is the rapidly expanding and lucrative realm of competitive video gaming. It is a significant source of income. Despite the fact that athletes may not seem to be conventional sports stars, they have enormous income potential, big commercial sponsorships, and even their own followings, thanks to this worldwide phenomena. In addition to those from Europe and the United States, a growing number of elite players are hailing from Africa, particularly especially Kenya.