State of African Games 2026

The African games industry is no longer a fringe participant in the global market. According to the 2025 State of Africa Report, players from the continent accounted for just over 2% of all unit sales on Steam in 2025 based on the top 100 selling games more than the Middle East and closing in on Oceania. That translates to over 60 million units, a clear sign that African players and developers are becoming an increasingly visible part of the global ecosystem.

But the numbers also tell a more nuanced story.

A Continent Led by One Country

South Africa remains the dominant force in African game development. The country accounts for most of top-selling titles and leads both in developer count and total unit sales. While this concentration has helped establish a strong commercial foothold for African games, it also highlights how uneven the industry still is across the continent.

A Peak in Releases, Then a Pause

African game releases grew steadily throughout the early 2020s, reaching their highest point in 2023. By 2025, however, the number of new titles had slowed. This doesn’t necessarily signal a downturn. Instead, it may indicate a shift from quantity to quality, as studios take more time to build larger or more polished projects.

The Genre Mismatch

One of the most striking findings in the report is the disconnect between supply and demand across genres.

Simulation games have the highest median sales by a wide margin, followed by adventure and RPGs. Yet action games dominate in terms of how many African studios are producing them. This suggests that many developers are clustering around familiar genres rather than those with the strongest commercial performance.

In practical terms, it means there may be untapped opportunities in genres where fewer games are being made but the typical title performs better.

Global Pricing, Accessible Tools

African developers appear to be aligning closely with global pricing standards, with many titles launching at similar price tiers to international games. On the technical side, Unity is the most widely used engine, reflecting its accessibility and suitability for smaller teams.

What Comes Next

The African games industry is entering a more mature phase. The early years were defined by experimentation and rapid growth in the number of releases. The next phase may be defined by strategic genre choices, higher production values, and stronger international positioning.

If developers begin to move into less crowded, higher-performing genres and continue to bring unique cultural perspectives to their games the continent could see a new wave of breakout hits.

Africa’s games industry is still small in global terms, but the trajectory is clear: it’s growing, it’s professionalizing, and it’s starting to find its voice.

Download the full report here.