South Africa is the second-largest eSports market on the continent, and while some people believe that this market is plateauing, there’s plenty of evidence to suggest the contrary. As accessibility and affordability continue to play pivotal roles in the size of the eSports market in South Africa, we’ve recently witnessed a surge in the number of gamers looking to turn their hobby into a full-time profession.
While eSports traditionally refers to professional video gaming, several subdivisions have now generated job opportunities for people—such as streamers who have a big audience online and use their gaming to generate income, or gaming vloggers who do not have the skill to become professional gamers but have turned their passion into digital insights that are sought after within the South African gaming market. Let’s take a look at some of the most significant factors that are driving this popularity surge.
A rise in betting markets
The health of any industry can often be measured by the number of derivative markets that find success. Nowhere is this more evident than in professional video gaming, where many new and traditional platforms have sought ways to offer eSports betting markets to this market with millions of potential customers.
It is not just betting markets that have started to open up to this new idea. Another derivative market that has found success within this expansive ecosystem is askgamblers.com, which has been able to use its expertise to direct customers toward sites that best match their gambling preferences.
This could be in relation to eSports betting or any other type of sports betting market. However, by providing a resource that allows bettors to seek out platforms that cater to the elements they most like the look of, they can put their expertise to good use.
These factors include site aesthetics, security, mobile functionality, and various payment options. These factors are helping attract more attention to niche betting markets such as eSports, which is acting as a funnel, and leveraging the popularity of gambling is bringing more South Africans into the sector.
Combining different areas of entertainment
As a standalone market, eSports has enough to sell out stadiums, we’ve seen that throughout Asia and other continents over the last decade. However, eSports companies in South Africa have followed a blueprint we have seen in both the US and China, which involves combining entertainment ideas and turning eSports events into live entertainment hubs.
Some brands will seek to attract some of the big names in South African music, while others have explored the idea of inviting influential social media figures to host their events in a bid to boost online engagement.
In the US and the UK, top eSports events pay big money to get comedians to host their competitions. It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach, but offering a broader, all-around package helps to make these events more enticing and brings more people into the fascinating, burgeoning world of professional video gaming.
Channeling into a global market
Professional video gaming brings together people from all nationalities and walks of life. Once the Internet started to play an enormous role in how gaming companies operated, there was a clear need for pro video gaming companies to appeal to the international market.
League of Legends, the world’s most popular mobile game, attracts sell-out stadium crowds whenever it holds elite-level tournaments across Asia. However, this popularity is also reflected across several other continents. The challenge for South African eSports companies was to harness this immense popularity and market it in a way that appealed to gamers across South Africa.
They achieved this by combining several factors. A growing number of social media marketing companies on Instagram and Facebook began creating marketing campaigns targeting those most likely to enjoy professional video gaming.
In addition, many eSports competitions would offer incentives, whereby gamers could pay an entry fee, and then the winner would take home the prize. While these ideas had varying degrees of success, depending on the company’s size and how well-structured their marketing strategy was, they all helped push eSports into a more visible light within the South African gaming market.
The same can be said for vloggers and bloggers, who have used the South African market to attract a following and spend considerable time putting together gaming reviews or showcasing their gaming skills to both a domestic and international market.
Gaining market legitimacy
From a traditional standpoint, the idea that you could turn to professional video gaming would’ve been sneered at, especially from older generations who believe it’s not a reputable or sustainable way to make a living.
However, suppose you are somebody who pays attention to the earnings. In that case, you’ll understand just how lucrative professional video gaming is for those truly elite gamers, with many of the prize pools stretching into seven-figure territory for those good enough to establish themselves as the world’s best.
These tournaments have pioneered how we view sports entertainment and influenced millions of people to turn to eSports as a viable way to make a living. Whether they are looking to host eSports tournaments, deal with logistics, or carve out a career in social media marketing, they’re all viable careers.
The market was much smaller a decade ago. Therefore, this newfound legitimacy in the market has meant it is gaining popularity across the different facets of South African society.
Final thoughts
While there’s plenty to be excited about if you are involved in the South African eSports industry, many factors contributing to its growing popularity have stemmed from global influence.
As the value of the eSports market soars throughout the Middle East, Asia, and Europe, all of which are highly profitable markets, there’s a growing demand for companies looking to do the same in Africa.
While Nigeria remains the most significant market, South Africa is a close second. Still, if the broader international trend continues to showcase that the eSports market has room to grow, the South African market is almost certain to follow suit. How far this market can grow is anyone’s guess, but we will likely continue to see it growing between now and at least the end of this decade.
