Now is the best time to get a job in gaming in South Africa

Gaming has quietly been growing as a legitimate source of income in South Africa.

“Whether as a player, a developer, designer or writer, the gaming industry – also known as the interactive entertainment industry – provides an exciting, engaging and rewarding new opportunity for school-leavers,” says Nola Payne, Head of Faculty: Information and Communication Technology at The Independent Institute of Education, SA’s largest and most accredited private higher education institution.

Specifically Payne mentions the massive spectrum of “non-traditional” jobs available in the sector.

“Traditionally, learners would have been encouraged to go to state universities to study broad degrees which would not necessarily prepare them for the workplace, but were considered a must-have to be successful in life,” says Payne.

“This approach is no longer suitable in the 21st century, however, as there are countless new fields with significant prospects which did not even exist 5 years ago,” she says.

Available Careers

Local career opportunities currently include software development, graphic and multimedia design as well as plot design, map design and storytelling to create the game plan, says Payne.

“South Africa already has a thriving and growing game development and design industry, which is set to explode in coming years, as leading institutions start offering major gaming-related degrees.”

Currently, only a handful of institutions have responded to the market demand, with UCT offering an elective Game Development major in their Computer Science degree, WITS offering a Game Design degree and Vega School a Degree in Game Design and Development.

“Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban all have thriving Game Production and Development companies building their portfolios and reputations as forces to be reckoned with. As the industry continues to grow, so will the demand for qualified gaming professionals,” she says.

As the sector continues to rapidly expand however, more and more institutions are likely to offer gaming-oriented courses.