Last week, Safaricom held its first-ever Gaming Conference at the Michael Joseph Centre, themed “Level Up Africa: Unlocking Gaming Potential in Africa.”
The event wasn’t your usual stiff industry summit. Sure, there were serious talks on policy, investment, and the future of eSports, but there was also cosplay, movie screenings, music performances, and merch stalls.
“Gaming is more than just play, it is talent, creativity, and opportunity,” said Fawzia Ali-Kimanthi, Safaricom’s Chief Consumer Business Officer. “At Safaricom, we believe in powering the youth and building platforms where skills can turn into careers, innovations, and thriving communities.”
Africa’s gaming industry is expected to grow rapidly thanks to rising smartphone use, cheaper internet bundles, and platforms like M-Pesa enabling quick in-game payments.
This isn’t Safaricom’s first brush with gaming. In 2019, the telco partnered with Pro Series Gaming (PSG) for a nationwide eSports tournament, targeting 18–26-year-olds. This was followed by the MobiPlay Challenge via its Games Lounge service, an 8-week online competition with daily and weekly prizes, in 2021. In 2022, Safaricom launched Wai Ndai, a 90-day gaming challenge. Fast forward to 2025, and it sponsored the Otamatsuri Gaming Convention at KICC. Safaricom powered the event with 5G for lag-free gameplay.
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