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Africa : A nascent market State of play : Esports betting report 2021
AFRICA : A NASCENT MARKET
AFRICA IS steadily growing as an area of interest in the esports world , with countries such as South Africa , Egypt , Nigeria and Kenya leading the fray . However , the esports industry is still in its infancy compared to other continents .
That being said , it is seen as a region with untapped potential , with 60 % of Africa ’ s population aged under 25 . It ’ s this group that has driven an increased uptake of internet and smartphone technology . It is estimated that the esports audience will increase from 20 million in 2020 to 53 million by 2023 . 10
“ As the audience grows , more businesses are expected to invest in African team talent , with South African and Egyptian gamers already starting to feature on international rosters ,” says Morris Garrard , a market analyst at Futuresource Consulting . “ This opens up sponsorship opportunities for companies investing in these athletes , with advertising targeted to better reach African fans .”
However , Africa ’ s esports industry has been held back by a lack of technological infrastructure and publisher support , which in turn produces fewer players able to effectively compete in international tournaments . It is understood that the development of this infrastructure in Africa could lead to an uptick in participation from an esports fan and professional player perspective .
STATE OF ESPORTS BETTING IN SOUTH AFRICA
South Africa is the centre of
African esports and one of the first few nations ( along with South Korea , China , Russia , Italy , Denmark and Nepal ) to recognise esports as an official sport .
10 Futuresource Consulting
11 PWC
State of play : Esports betting report 2021