How African game studios can compete globally

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At the recent Lagos Games Week, an annual trade fair and industry conference held in Lagos, Nigeria, we caught up with Virtuos business development manager Soukayna Ennaji to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing Africa’s game development industry. 

From navigating player markets, government support, and the potential of AI, Ennaji spoke to us on how emerging studios can grow locally while competing globally.

Understanding your market

Asked how African developers should approach the divide between development and consumption markets, Ennaji advises studios to start by understanding their local player base, but build with global players in mind. 

“It’s important to differentiate between players that are playing your game and those who pay for it,” she says.

“Some of them are in Africa and some are outside, so build games with that in mind, especially in the short term, before you can build a community around you.”

She adds that designing with a global paying audience in mind helps studios set quality standards and shape their business models early on.

What makes a strong mobile game

While Ennaji notes mobile games aren’t her core expertise, she points to an important rule of thumb: balance fun and monetisation. 

“Mobile players expect quality,” she states. “There are so many games out there in the mobile market, so they want something that’s going to be sustainably fun, be of quality and is not going to be full of ads.

She continues: “Monetisation is great and necessary, but it shouldn’t be so excessive that it hinders the fun of the game.”

Policy support and capital access

Ennaji emphasises that games growth in Africa will depend on proactive government support, with tax incentives one way of backing the industry. 

“Tax incentives would help Nigeria become competitive,” she says. “So either you give tax back or cut taxes for emerging studios, whether internally or even other studios that come from outside that want to open studios in Nigeria.

“It would be an immense support in the development of talent through funds and grants, as well as help game developers educate themselves to become better, but also build their own games to not have to suffer through a lot of financial strife because video games require a lot of upfront investment.

“You don’t sell your game until it’s done and that takes a few months to years. So tax incentives can help those game studios survive till they can publish their own games.” 

Bridging the talent gap

Africa’s late entry into the global games industry poses a challenge, Ennaji says, particularly when it comes to developing experienced talent. 

“I think another challenge Africa is facing is how late it’s coming into the scene compared to other countries that have had some years to structure itself and build up their talent,” she explains. “And for me it’s about attracting talent and building your own.

“Games take a specified knowledge that comes with years of learning, but now with democratisation of knowledge in the internet, you can build your skills up and create your own games but it’s good to get informed from other people’s experiences and people that are more senior in that industry, and we don’t necessarily have those. 

“We need to attract our diaspora back or collaborate with international partners to upskill and polish local talents. And I think that’s probably going to be the hardest part – attracting the capital, publishers and those game creators to come and share their expertise with the rest. 

In essence, to sustain the talent, we want to make it possible for game creators to survive these early years by upskilling and learning and making games in order to teach the people that come after them.” 

AI’s potential in African games

On emerging technologies like AI, Ennaji strikes a cautiously optimistic tone.

“It’s less about whether Nigeria is ready and more about whether AI is,” she says. 

Ennaji believes Africa could lead in smart applications of AI tailored to local markets – but success depends on bringing in the right expertise and using the technology to create meaningful, innovative gameplay.

From access to funding and senior talent, to the smart integration of AI, Ennaji believes that with the right support, African developers can thrive globally while building strong creative communities at home.

You can learn more about the MENA games industry at Pocket Gamer Connects Aqaba later this year on November 8th to 9th.