The gaming industry is expected to expand rapidly in Sub-Saharan Africa, with 303 million people having access to mobile internet by 2025.
Game Camp is a Microsoft initiative that brings together various Xbox initiatives under one roof. Campers can access presentations, panels, and workshops online, but four in-person locations will host viewing events, local panel discussions, and opportunities to interact with Xbox and Microsoft staff. All registered campers can access the presentations, panels, and workshops online.
The gaming industry is expected to expand rapidly in Sub-Saharan Africa, with 303 million people having access to mobile internet by 2025. South Africa has the highest level of gamer saturation, with 24 million players. Games are played by 27% of the population in Ghana, 23% in Nigeria, 22% in Kenya, and 13% in Ethiopia.
The Xbox Game Studios Game Camp program, now in its second year and fifth event, aims to provide creators from all over the world with learning opportunities from industry leaders in order to help them realise their potential in the gaming industry.
“At Xbox, we’re on a mission to bring the joy and community of gaming to the world’s 3 billion gamers and we recognise that Africa is home to the largest population of youth in the world, many of whom love to play,” said Phil Spencer, CEO of gaming at Microsoft.
“In order to understand their vision for the future of game development, I met with tech leaders, educators, and developers from across the region in 2019 at the opening of our Africa Development Centre.”
“By hosting the first Xbox Game Studios Camp Africa in conjunction with Microsoft Africa Transformation Office, we have the chance to further solidify our ties with the region’s talented game developers and support African studios in realising their potential and roles in the global gaming market.”
The applicants must be of legal age, be citizens of an African nation, and be enrolled in or actively employed in programs related to software development, visual arts, 3D animation, music, audio production, web design, narrative design, or professional project management.
Microsoft Teams will be used for remote participation, or participants can attend four open houses in Cairo, Johannesburg, Lagos, and Nairobi to participate in person. Throughout the training, workshops on various game development topics will be led by Xbox staff and outside programme partners.
The two-day “The Journey of a Game” camp will provide a variety of viewpoints on the craft of game development. It will also include online learning, allowing participants to engage with targeted training modules on subjects that align with their skills and interests.
Applications are now being accepted for a conference honouring game developers from more than 50 African nations to take place on July 15 and 16, 2023.