According to a report by AdColony, mobile gaming is extremely popular in South Africa. A whopping 90% of people under 35 describe themselves as mobile gamers. This article takes a look at what 90% of South Africans play.
Live casinos
South Africans love online casino games. So much that the revenues reach R7.4 billion in the Gauteng Province alone. Operators like Springbok casino mobile provide all types of casino games to tens of thousands of players. The games South African casinos offer include table games like roulette and poker, as well as all sorts of online slots. Some of the most popular ones are Book of Ra series and Cash Bandits by RTG.
The main factor that drives people towards this kind of entertainment is the adrenaline rush you feel when you are expecting to win. Even though it is nothing more than a fun pastime for most players, some have won significant jackpots.
Casual games
The other type of online games South Africans love is casual games. Cited among the top 50 popular apps on Google Play, these games share this position with Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and other very popular apps. Casual games that have the love of South African players are Happy Glass, Word Link and Helix Jump.
In Happy Glass you have to draw a line and fill a glass to complete a level. Word Link is a classic word game, where you have to find words on pictures and link the letters to form a work. Ideal for foreigners who learn English. Helix Jump is a game, where you have to go through a labyrinth with a bouncing ball.
These games are so popular because they are simple. South African players who play casual games are looking for an easy way to kill time, when they’re commuting to work of waiting for something.
Competitive games
According to Redbull, there are 4 mobile games that could become the future of esports in SA. These are two MOBAs, Arena of Valor and Vainglory, and two shooters, PUBG mobile and Fortnite. Fortnite is a bit more of a prediction than the others, as it isn’t widely available on mobile yet. Vainglory, however, has announced that it will be present at WESG 2018 as an esports title.
Hearthstone is already available on smartphones and tablets, and is a competitive sport, technically making it a mobile esport. Hopefully the titles that are described here are going to become esports as well.
Mobile esports are attractive to South Africans as they are competitive and require a lot of skill to win. It certainly feels a lot better to win, if you know that you have defeated an opponent who have been trying their best to defeat you.
Popularity of mobile games is growing
The industry is not showing any signs of slowing down. The projections estimate stable growth of the number of mobile gamers. If you are a fan of online casinos, casual games, or mobile esports, you can expect to see more entertaining games in the future
