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# Africa now has more than 400m gamers
- URL: https://www.isakaba.com/africa-now-has-more-than-400m-gamers/
- Published: 2026-09-02T07:17:04.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-02T07:27:22.000Z
- Description: Egypt remains Africa’s largest gaming market by revenue
- Author: Isa Muhammad
- Tags: Report, Africa, MENA

Africa’s gamer population has more than doubled in five years to reach 406.25 million in 2026, with Nigeria also closing the gap on South Africa among the continent’s largest gaming markets.

A new analysis from [Carry1st](https://www.isakaba.com/carry1st/) and Newzoo found that Africa’s gamer base has grown from an estimated 186m players in 2021 to 369.66m in 2025 and 406.25m this year.

The five-year increase of 118% means Africa now accounts for 10.98% of the world’s 3.70 billion gamers, adding an estimated 36.6m players in 2026 alone.

**Nigeria closes in**

Egypt remains Africa’s largest gaming market by revenue, generating $458.1m in 2026, followed by South Africa at $263m.

Nigeria, however, is closing the gap, generating $226.6m in gaming revenue. The difference between the two markets now stands at just $36.4m.

The wider Middle East and Africa region is home to 640.12m gamers when the Middle East’s 233.86m players are included, representing more than 17.3% of the global gamer population.

Mobile continues to account for the majority of Africa’s gaming activity, generating $1.62bn or 81.8% of the continent’s $1.98bn games market in 2026.

"While mature global markets record modest growth, Africa’s 11.9% revenue expansion demonstrates resilient, underlying demand,” said Newzoo principal games analyst Michiel Buijsman. 

“With nearly 82% of African gaming revenues driven by mobile platforms, the continent continues to leapfrog legacy console infrastructure, offering clear and scalable commercial opportunities for local and international developers alike.”