South Africa’s female Counter-Strike 2 eSports team was this week crowned winner of the African eSports Championship 2024 (AEC24) in Morocco.
This, after Mind Sports South Africa’s (MSSA’s) Protea female Counter-Strike 2 eSports team beat Tunisia 2-0, to qualify for the International eSports Federation’s (IESF’s) World eSports Championships in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 11 to 19 November.
IESF notes AEC24 marked a milestone as Africa’s first offline eSports championship, as it showcased the region’s eSports growth, talent and passion, offering a glimpse into the promising future of eSports on the continent.
South Africa’s victory comes as eSports is rapidly evolving, with opportunities for growth across sectors, from game development, to broadcasting and event management.
According to Statista, the eSports market worldwide is projected to reach revenue of $4.3 billion in 2024. It adds it is expected to show an annual growth rate (2024-2028) of 7.10%, resulting in a projected market volume of $5.7 billion by 2028.
Sponsorships are one of the largest revenue streams in eSports, with brands investing heavily to reach the young and engaged audience. However, while the industry is growing, finding sustainable and diverse revenue streams remains a challenge.
Scoring momentum
In the local education sector, more institutions are embracing eSports as part of their curriculum, to harness its potential to teach scholars mental toughness, leadership skills, sportsmanship and communication skills.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, eSports has slowly gained traction within SA’s learning sector, with schools such as Curro joining the movement.
MSSA sent 21 Protea eSports athletes to AEC24 − the biggest eSports team to leave South African shores to do battle for SA, for honour, pride and $100 000 (R1.7 million) prize money.
Colin Webster, president of MSSA, attributes the South Africans’ victory to hard work, training, dedication and the continued belief in MSSA in its teams, to get them overseas to as many competitions as possible.
MSSA is a non-profit organisation and affiliate of the IESF, Federation de Jeau du Mondiale and International Wargames Federation. It is responsible for facilitating gaming events and promotion of board games, card games, robotics and eSports in SA.
“With the stunning victory, MSSA's Protea female Counter-Strike 2 eSports team has qualified for IESF's WEC24 and are now the official champions of Africa,” Webster says.
“eSports is the gateway into the digital world. While eSports is popular in SA, the socio-economic problems do impede the growth, as few can afford the various platforms to play at a high level. More involvement by the National Lottery Fund and government is required if eSports is to become as popular as it is in Europe.”
South Africa went into the match with not having lost a single game the entire championship. The South African team had won every game 2-0.
According to MSSA, the team worked like a well-oiled machine due to the fact that all the team members hail from the same club – ATK.
It explains that in the first game, the Tunisians chose the Dust 2 map, and saw the South African team battle to find its feet as the Protea Team played a little recklessly.
Nevertheless, it adds, the Protea Team still maintained control of the game throughout and won comfortably 13-9. Christin Brazier was selected as the most valuable player.
In the second game, the Protea Team picked the Mirage map, and found their groove, MSSA adds. The Proteas forced the Tunisians into submission with a 13-2 victory.
Team captain Jessica Eleez Greeff was selected as the most valuable player in the second game.
While eSports is growing locally, Webster previously told ITWeb that the eSports community remains fractious in SA, with many mavericks operating and not going through the official structures.
He pointed out that one of the biggest challenges is to get most South Africans to see gaming on mobiles, consoles and personal computers as a viable option to older, existing sports.
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