For Africa’s under-30 majority, gaming isn’t just play. What was once seen as casual fun on smartphones a few years ago is now emerging as a cultural and economic force that blends competition, creativity and community for young people, according to insiders.
“It’s a platform for young people to showcase skills, earn money and connect with peers across borders,” Justus Omwenga, an esports enthusiast in Nairobi, affirmed to bird in an interview.
“Telcos are taking a keen watch at these developments and are beginning to strategically tap into this new growing and seemingly sustainable business.”
Africa has a youthful population with more than 70 per cent listed as under 30 years of age. For them, phone tech savviness and Internet connection are important. These values contribute to the rise of mobile gaming.
A Stears 2025 Research Study shows the continent has more than 350 million gamers, with 92 per cent playing on smartphones, and the industry generated $1.8 billion in revenue by the close of 2024.
Across Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria and Ghana, telcommunication companies are leveraging the growth of esports, largely on smartphones, to lock in loyalty, drive data use, and mobile money transactions from the continent’s growing mobile-first customer base.
“You will not miss a bundled promotion either giving you access to free games or cheaper daily data plan advertised through short message services, on digital media or social media posts,” Omwenga said.
MTN has been a trailblazer in coming up with innovative mobile gaming offerings over the last three years.
MTN’s latest push into gaming is Cloudplay, a cloud gaming service launched late 2024 in partnership with sports technology firm Telecoming.
The platform lets users stream more than 340 games directly to mobile devices, tablets, and other screens without downloads or consoles, leveraging MTN’s high-speed 5G network for a monthly fee of US $4.37.
In 2023, the telecom giant introduced MTN Arena, an esports platform in Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa offering competitive tournaments, leaderboards and prizes.
“MTN Arena is more than just playing games, it’s about winning big,” states a post on MTN’s website. “With MTN’s unbeatable gaming deals, every tournament brings you closer to the top, closer to the thrill and closer to life-changing rewards.”
MTN has also integrated HTML5 casual games into its Ayoba super app, now with more than 30 million active users, allowing play without heavy downloads or data use.
To boost engagement, MTN offers dedicated ‘Gamer Bundles’ with discounted data for partnered titles and streaming platforms, often co-branded with popular publishers and influencers to connect with Africa’s youthful gaming community.
Vodacom South Africa is positioning itself as a digital lifestyle enabler, pairing cloud gaming access with 5G connectivity and offering GameTime bundles that let users stream or download popular titles on Xbox Cloud, Steam or local platforms without straining their budgets.
Its NXT LVL bundle, according to the company’s website, is “designed to recognise the reality and delivers a solution that speaks directly to under-25s who are heavy data users and whose lifestyles are largely digital”.
“By combining practical data bundles with lifestyle perks and exciting promotions, Vodacom has created more than just a mobile package – they’ve created a digital ecosystem for young South Africans,” Vodacom said.
Vodacom’s headline offer for this customer base is a 25GB Super Content Bundle priced at $3.89 (R69). It is also split into 5GB wallets for general browsing, social media and late-night sessions, catering to the peak hours when many young people dive into game night tournaments.
In July, MTN and Vodacom ran a campaign on affordable smartphones in South Africa during the Mandela month as part of campaigns to help subscribers move from 2G and 3G to higher-speed 4G internet as the country gears up to sunset 2G and 3G by December 2027.
“By making affordable 4G smartphones available, Vodacom is helping more people fully take part in the digital economy,” said Vodacom’s Chief Enterprise Business Officer, Rishaad Tayob, according to a press release.
Kenya’s biggest telco, Safaricom, is banking on gaming to keep its youngest customers plugged in.
Its Hook platform, pitched as a lifestyle and digital engagement hub for customers under 26 years, makes gaming a central draw alongside music, learning and career tools.
Safaricom’s youth bundles are built around connectivity, entertainment and career growth, with micro-offers like 1GB a day or “gaming-night” passes giving students and young professionals a low-commitment way to play.
Airtel Africa is using mobile gaming as a lever to drive data consumption and boost revenue per user in gaming-heavy markets.
The telco has rolled out low-cost streaming packages for live games and sporting events, and also operates Games Club, a subscription portal offering unlimited mobile data and rewards gameplay with bonus data or airtime.
