Wits University’s Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct, in partnership with Ekasi Esports, will this weekend kick-off the first of monthly gaming and eSports events.
Known as Ekasi Esports Days, the free-to-attend events target aspiring local game developers and eSports fans, with the aim to put them in touch with the people they need to take their games further.
In a statement, Tshimologong says the inaugural eSports Day, hosted on 26 March, will be the first of many to be held every last Saturday of the month.
“Tshimologong is helping transform Joburg from a minerals-based to a mind-based economy. On the same day we are launching our first collaboration with the Precinct, there are events dedicated to robotics, coding and more on the same street,” says Perfect Zikhali, MD of Ekasi Esports.
“The Tshimologong monthly Ekasi Esports Days will contribute towards the growth of locally-developed games by providing a platform for local developers to showcase their games to a live audience and receive immediate feedback.”
Aside from showcasing games in development, tournaments, round tables and industry-focused discussions led by many local gaming and eSports movers-and-shakers will take place in Braamfontein this weekend, according to the statement.
“Ekasi is a collective committed to furthering township youths’ presence in the virtual world. Key to this is establishing visibility in the brick-and-mortar world. In this regard, we are pleased to be really ramping up our real-world activities in 2022,” adds Zikhali.
eSports is the fastest growing sport globally, with a current valuation of $1 billion and projections showing this number will almost double by the end of 2022.
The launch of the eSports events follows the recent Ekasi Esports and Western Cape Department of Health collaboration, where they partnered to host eSports pop-up tournaments to promote COVID-19 vaccination awareness and education among the youth.
In the Western Cape’s Khayelitsha Township, a series of back-to-back gaming tournaments were hosted that featured the pro-vaccination message.
Mobile eSports and gaming is well-suited to SA, allowing township gamers, in particular, to compete or entertain themselves without requiring additional hardware, notes the statement.
The Free Fire mobile game, for example, has more than 100 million daily active users worldwide and is free to download via the Android and Apple Store. Mobile gaming, where competitors are virtual, also respects the current need to keep safe.
“In South Africa, gaming can be a force for good and a powerful way to create educational and employment opportunities, and most importantly, hope for the future,” Zikhali concludes.
Click here to register for the free event.
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