The Rise of Online Gaming in Zimbabwe

Sport
Online gaming in Zimbabwe is on the rise. The country is seeing a huge boost in the number of people who are turning to eSports for entertainment, which means it is following in the footsteps of other African neighbours. For many years, the people of Zimbabwe have been enjoying casual gaming, but it appears that […]

Online gaming in Zimbabwe is on the rise. The country is seeing a huge boost in the number of people who are turning to eSports for entertainment, which means it is following in the footsteps of other African neighbours.

For many years, the people of Zimbabwe have been enjoying casual gaming, but it appears that there are many inside the country taking this to a new level. The eSports market is certainly big in many parts of the world, with multi-billion-dollar figures bandied about in 2019 and the same expected in 2020. It seems East Africa is getting in on the act, and Zimbabwe are aiming to play a leading part in that.

Neighbouring South Africa is already emerging as a big player in the eSports industry, with many online and hosted tournaments taking place in the country for players who play competitively. The key advantage they have over Zimbabwe is their internet capabilities, something that country is going to have to look at solving in the near future if eSports is to really take off.

A fast and reliable internet connection is simply a must for anyone looking to play online, and many Zimbabweans simply don’t have that, or can’t afford to have it. There are currently two plans in place which would help this. The first is a project to deliver internet to rural areas who currently don’t have the speeds needed to play online, this is expected to happen in the coming years. The second is a drive to bring prices down and make high-speed internet more affordable for people, which should encourage even more players to play online.

With these internet improvements in play, online gaming and gambling will become a lot more accessible, and no doubt more used in the country. Even those looking to play simple online casino games need a stable internet connection to do so. When they have that, signing up to a casino as seen on CasinoProfessor.co.nz is simple and straight forward for those looking to get involved.

The first Zimbabwean to play in any kind of international eSports tournament was back in 2018. A player from the country played in the 2018 FIFA e-World Cup. Since then organisations have been formed to promote eSports playing at a professional level in the country, and it is hoped that these will bring further players forward and enable them to play on a world platform such as the one FIFA have created.

Infrastructure is key though, and this needs to be in place for those who are currently not able to play to be given the freedom to do so. The next few years are going to shape that, and the government are going to play a huge part in making it happen. If they want to support their players and potentially stand out as being a nation that takes eSports extremely seriously then this is the time for them to invest and ensure that as many players as possible can have a fast and stable internet connection.