The ultimate guide to esports in South Africa
According to Games Industry Africa (GIA), Sub-Saharan Africa is projected to be the fastest-growing gaming region in the world.
The data also showed that the total number of gamers in Africa increased by 142% between 2015 and 2021 — from 77 million to 186 million gamers.
South Africa leads the gaming industry in Africa with the highest saturation of gamers, as 24 million people play video games within a population of 59m (40%).
South Africa also leads in total annual gaming revenue, with the local industry earning $290 million (R4.71 billion) in 2021.
Considering the rise of esports and gaming in South Africa, MyGaming has put together a list of the country’s most successful esports teams, games, players, and their respective earnings for those interested in entering this fast-growing industry.
Top teams and players
South Africa’s most successful esports clubs have some of the best gamers in the country play for their teams.
The most notable teams include Bravado Gaming, White Rabbit Gaming, and Goliath Gaming.
These teams provide a platform and create opportunities for players who want to reach the international stage.
These are the most popular esports teams in South Africa.
- Bravado Gaming
- Aperture Gaming
- White Rabbit Gaming
- Damage Control
- Goliath Gaming
- Lounge Gaming
- Online Kingdom
- Energy Esports
- Big 5 Esports
- ATK
- BerZerK Gaming
While the following of these teams is relatively small globally, these teams have provided a springboard for many players to reach the international stage.
These players include ex-Cloud 9 Counter-Strike players Aran ‘Sonic’ Groesbeek and Johnny ‘JT’ Theodosiou, and FIFA player Thabo ‘YvngSavage’ Moloi.
The following table shows the top 10 South African pro-players and their total tournament earnings to date, according to Esports Earnings.
| Player’s name | Game | Total earnings |
| Johnny “JT” Theodosiou | CS:GO | R2,032,461.68 ($126,581.47) |
| Aran “Sonic” Groesbeek | CS:GO | R1,879,112.99 ($117,030.93) |
| Rhys “Fadey” Armstrong | CS:GO | R742,486.32 ($46,241.96) |
| Dimitri “Detrony” Hadjipaschali | CS:GO | R720,521.66 ($44,874) |
| Ruan “Elusive” van Wyk | CS:GO | R643,805.97 ($40,096.16) |
| Shiaan Rugbeer | FIFA | R550,084.86 ($34,259.22) |
| Thabo “YvngSavage” Moloi | FIFA | R527,300.28 ($32,840.20) |
| Rieghardt “flexye” Romatzki | CS:GO | R345,932.09 ($21,544.61) |
| Trevor “kaNibalistic” Morley | CS:GO | R344,995.00 |
| Dominic “Domsterr” Sampaio | CS:GO | R342,178.82 |
Top games and platforms
While Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) is among the most lucrative games in the table above, many other games are played in South Africa at a competitive level.
These games include the following:
- DOTA 2
- StarCraft II
- Overwatch
- Rocket League
- League of Legends
- Hearthstone
- StarCraft: Brood War
It is also important to state that gaming fame is not only achieved by pro players on the international stage, and gamers looking to make some money by playing their favourite games don’t necessarily have to be the best of the best.
The popularity of esports has also driven the growth of streaming communities — not only in South Africa but also worldwide.
Steaming platforms such as YouTube and Twitch can provide a great opportunity for an average gamer who has lots of enthusiasm for their favourite game, and who loves engaging with people.
It is completely free to start a channel on both these platforms; however, you might need to invest in video production equipment such as a good quality camera, microphone, and editing software.
If you’re a serious gamer and want some tips on how to become a pro-gamer in South Africa, click here.
Source: MyGaming
