Online gaming in SA on the rise

MWeb sees record numbers in July as local online gaming gains momentum

Jeremy ProomeAugust 14, 2012

Online gaming in South Africa is booming, according to MWeb.

Despite certain limitations with infrastructure and unique content, the local gaming scene has seen significant growth in the online sphere.

MWeb has had three record months, with 58,000 unique users playing online games through July 2012 – which is a 30 percent jump since 2011.

“It’s nothing clever. We’re looking after our customers. We’re following the same trends from overseas,” Desmond Kurz, MWeb’s online gaming manager told News24.

MWeb aims to double the number of users within a year. “A small fraction of people that have Xboxes or PlayStations in South Africa currently play online,” said Kurz. “We believe it’s on a steep growing curve.”

The constraints that face MWeb and local gamers put them at a slight disadvantage, although Kurz said that progress is being made and a focus is being put to host more games locally.