Game development is a sought-after profession among young techies, which stems from their love of games. However, to become a game developer in South Africa can be challenging.<\/p>\n
While it is growing, game development is still a very small field locally. This means there aren\u2019t many game development jobs available.<\/p>\n
Make Games South Africa founder Nicholas Hall told MyGaming that there aren’t a large number of studios in South Africa able to hire game developers.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis means that a lot of people wanting to enter the industry will have to do so as a start-up,\u201d said Hall.<\/p>\n
The good news is that this is starting to change as South African gaming studios mature.<\/p>\n
\u201cI expect to see steady growth in the next 5 years, and we will likely in that time frame see one or two existing studios grow to the size where they employ more than 50 people,\u201d said Hall.<\/p>\n
Game development incorporates many fields, including programming, art, and sound. This means that game developer salaries can range significantly.<\/p>\n
Hall told MyGaming that game developer salaries also depend on the studio.<\/p>\n
\u201cSmaller indie studios will not be able to pay very much or at all, and instead the developers will be getting profit share,\u201d said Hall.<\/p>\n
In a more established studio, junior game developer positions will typically pay between R8,000 and 14,000 per month<\/strong>, depending on the role the person and the size of the studio.<\/p>\n Hall said that more experienced game developers can expect to earn between R25,000 and R35,000<\/strong> at the larger, more established studios.<\/p>\n Advice for South African game developers<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nMore on game development<\/h3>\n