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“95% of all video games played in Africa are played on a mobile device.”
This stat, delivered to us via the founder and CEO of Kucheza Gaming, Bukola Akingbade, is at first glance completely insane. That’s a lot of mobile gaming! However, when set against the context of both the lack of cabled internet infrastructure and the democratisation of mobile devices across the continent, this begins to make sense.
Mobile is by far and away the single access point for gaming in this market and with the rise of youth across Africa as well as increasing unemployment, then surely leaning into this area could potentially help solve problems for generations to come?
That is exactly why Akingbade’s Playable Futures are all about creating the intersection of mobile, gaming, and education. To read her account of the work to date, you can’t help but be inspired. At Diva, we believe in taking everything to the Next Level. Be that client work, team culture, or simply contribution to the industry and society as a whole. If we’re doing it, we’re taking up a notch.
But Bukola’s work is something else. It’s the living breathing embodiment of Gaming for Good. Here in the UK, where every few weeks we see variations of ‘gaming is bad’ sensationalism appearing in the tabloids (and it’s always the tabloids), it’s reassuring to know a mere 4500 miles away brilliant people are doing brilliant things with brilliant intentions.
Pre-pandemic, this ambition to position gaming as an important and credible part of education is something the world could all learn from.
Post-pandemic, it’s galvanising.
That’s what Next Level looks like.
And we’re here for it.
Read Akingbade’s full article over on gamesindustry.biz.
