Growth of Esports in South Africa: Which Ones are Popular

Growth of Esports in South Africa: Which Ones are Popular
Growth of Esports in South Africa: Which Ones are Popular. Image source: Pixabay

Esports has seen significant growth over the last two years on a worldwide scale. A full 2021 data or report may not be available yet but the global esports industry is expected to be already valued at over a billion USD based on Newzoo’s 2021 Global Esports and Live Streaming Market Report.

In 2020, the market was able to generate over $947 million which means that it grew 14.5 percent. Somehow, the industry benefited from the effects of the pandemic. Many countries worldwide showed more interest in esports like India and even some parts of South Africa.

Based on the current projections, the global esports market would be worth as much as 1.6 billion by 2024. With the industry’s growth, it is also expected that more people will be betting on esports events and tournaments. This is also the case in South Africa where more people are likely to participate in esports betting on sites listed on https://bettingsites24.co.za/.

Rise of Esports in South Africa

In 2018, the esports industry in South Africa was valued at almost 1 million USD. This year, it is expected to be as high as $8.2 million with a CAGR of 55.6 percent. Some of the most popular esports tournaments in South Africa are Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and DOTA 2.

Well, it’s not like it’s surprising that esports is flourishing in South Africa. This just makes sense because it has one of the largest video game markets on the continent. Gaming is even more popular than other forms of entertainment like film and music in this part of Africa.

South Africa’s love for gaming dates back to the early 2000s when gaming and internet cafes were popular. During this time, many people played games like Counter-Strike. The popular South African esports organization called Damage Control was founded in 2001, and they are known to be one of the best teams for Counter-Strike until today.

Damage Control is now also known for other games too like Overwatch and Hearthstone. Many other esports teams were formed since the rise of gaming in this part of Africa. Here are the top esports team from South Africa today:

  • Bravado Gaming
  • Aperture Gaming
  • White Rabbit Gaming
  • Damage Control
  • Lounge Gaming
  • Online Kingdom
  • Team South Africa
  • Energy eSports
  • Big 5 Esports

Here are some of the most popular esports players that people follow and their earnings:

  • Detrony: $30,068
  • Sonic: $29,658
  • ELUSIVE: $29,449
  • JT: $21,754
  • Fadey: $21,612
  • BLACKPOISON: $18,699
  • DOMSTERR: $14,737
  • Takbok: $13,558
  • KaNibalistic: $13,548
  • Golz: $12,314

The interest of people here grew when it was proven that esports can be lucrative. In 2018, a small community of gamers from South Africa made over R3.78 million by winning tournaments. This was made possible also because of sponsorships and advertisement deals.

When it comes to games, here are the most popular ones in South Africa that are played on a pro-level:

  • Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
  • DOTA 2
  • StarCraft II
  • Overwatch
  • Heroes of the Storm
  • Rocket League
  • League of Legends
  • Hearthstone
  • StarCraft: Brood War

Other games that are also starting to gain popularity are Fortnite, PUBG, Apex Legends, FIFA, and Valorant.

The popularity of esports also has something to do with the growth of streaming communities not only in South Africa but also worldwide. Many gamers are now choosing to share their experience and gameplays through streaming platforms like YouTube and Twitch.

Here are some of the most popularly watched streamers in South Africa and some of the games that they play:

  • Stefano Batazzi – PUBG
  • Dangerous Dave – PUBG, Star Wars Battlefront
  • Giraffe_Monster – Ring of Elysium, Hearthstone, Overwatch, WOW, Rocket League
  • Mr_W4rpath – FPS and Car Racing games
  • JowyBear – PUBG, Battlefield, COD, Subnautica

Impact of Esports Growth in South Africa

The popularity of esports in South Africa has surely been making a lot of noticeable impacts. Sports channels would now broadcast or highlight esports events more frequently. Even celebrities are also showing support to their favorite esports teams and players which also somewhat affects the popularity of the industry.

Schools and colleges are also starting to catch up with modern times. There have been a few people from high school and college who have won esports tournaments in the country like Thabo Moloi who won a FIFA tournament in 2018. He was only 16 years old when he won R4400,000.

It is also expected that more foreign investments will come in as South Africa’s esports teams get bigger. Popular tournaments like the ESL, Overwatch, and FIFA are now hosted locally. It is likely that more international companies will look into the success of esports in South Africa eventually.