Google Play has announced the first ever Indie Games Fund for Africa, a $1m investment to support emerging and innovative game studios across 32 countries in Africa.
The program will provide equity-free capital, technical assistance, and one-on-one mentorship to help indie developers take their games to the world stage.
Many promising studios in Africa have struggled to expand due to funding gaps. The new programme aims to change that by giving developers the tools to refine their games, strengthen technical performance and improve global discoverability.
Selected studios will benefit from three core support pillars:
- Direct funding with access to a share of the $1 million fund and individual grants ranging from $50,000 to $200,000.
- Expert mentorship including one-on-one guidance from global gaming industry experts and strategic support to improve game design, monetisation and publishing readiness
- Technical support including optimization assistance to improve game performance and help with technical frameworks and platform discoverability on Google Play
According to Ben McOwen Wilson, Managing Director for Europe, Middle East and Africa at Google Play, the programme reflects a commitment to unlocking African creativity:
“Africa’s unique creativity has fuelled a vibrant game development scene. Bringing this fund to the continent underscores our commitment to unlocking the immense talent of local studios.”
Eligibility requirements
To qualify, studios must meet the following conditions:
- Be officially registered and based in eligible African countries
- Be an independent, privately owned studio with 50 or fewer employees
- Have already launched at least one mobile, PC, or console game
- Commit to launching on Google Play
- Participate in the Google Play Pass subscription programme (non-exclusively) for two years
Eligible countries include markets such as Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and many others across Sub-Saharan Africa and beyond.
Application timeline
Applications are now open via the official Indie Games Fund portal. The deadline is 31 July 2026 – 3PM EAT.
Final selections will be announced in September 2026, with 10 studios expected to be chosen for the programme.
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