Carry1st Forecasts Africa Games Revenue to Hit $1.98B

In Short

• Africa’s games market is forecast to reach $1.98 billion in revenue in 2026, up 11.9% year over year.
• Africa’s player base is forecast to grow to 406.25 million players, adding 36.6 million net new players in one year.
• Mobile gaming is expected to generate 81.8% of Africa’s games revenue, at $1.62 billion.

What Happened

Carry1st and market intelligence firm Newzoo published new forecasts on August 25, 2026. They predict Africa’s games market will grow 11.9% year over year to $1.98 billion in 2026. The report says this growth rate is nearly twice the forecast global games market growth.

The forecasts also cover Africa and the Middle East together. Combined games revenue across the two regions is projected to reach $8.53 billion in 2026, up 10.3% from 2025. The Middle East is forecast to generate $6.55 billion, while Africa contributes $1.98 billion.

On players, Africa is forecast to reach 406.25 million in 2026, up from 369.66 million in 2025. That is a net increase of 36.6 million players, and about 11% of all video game players globally.

Mobile remains the main driver. Mobile gaming, meaning games played primarily on smartphones, is forecast to generate $1.62 billion in Africa. That is 81.8% of total games revenue on the continent. In the Middle East, mobile is forecast to generate $4.21 billion, or 64.3% of revenue.

The report lists Egypt as Africa’s top games market by revenue forecast in 2026 at $458.1 million. South Africa follows at $263.0 million, then Nigeria at $226.6 million.

Why It Matters

The forecast reinforces a pattern operators already see across African digital entertainment. Lower access to consoles and gaming PCs, plus high prices for hardware, pushes more demand to mobile. Mobile also makes it easier for publishers to reach players through app stores and telco channels.

For studios, publishers, and payment providers, the bigger number is not just revenue, it is the player base growth. An expanding audience can support more local publishing, more regional competitions, and more spending over time, especially as connectivity and mobile payments improve.