African women turning gaming into a living episode artwork

EPISODE · Jul 31, 2026 · 22 MIN

African women turning gaming into a living

from Focus on Africa · host BBC World Service

Africa's video gaming industry is booming. The sector generated more than $1 billion in revenue in 2024, with mobile gaming making up around 90% of the market, according to KPMG. Although the industry has long been dominated by men, more women are entering the space, building careers as content creators, professional gamers and esports competitors. But breaking into the industry isn't always easy. Many female gamers continue to face abuse and harassment online. So what is it like to be a woman in Africa's gaming community? And why are more young Africans choosing gaming as a full-time career?Focus on Africa's Nkechi Ogbonna speaks to 30-year-old Techna from South Africa, who left her job to become a full-time gamer, and 25-year-old Saphra from Kenya about the opportunities, challenges and future of gaming on the continent.Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna Producers: Fana Negash, Carolyne Jotham, Bella Twine and Brian Khisa Senior Producers: Keikantse Shumba and Priya Sippy Technical Producer: Davis Mwasaru Editors: Rhoda Odhiambo and Maryam Abdalla

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jul 31, 2026

Embed this episode

Ready to play

African women turning gaming into a living

0:00 22:59

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Focus on Africa?

This episode is 22 minutes long.

When was this Focus on Africa episode published?

This episode was published on July 31, 2026.

Can I download this Focus on Africa episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!