Fak’ugesi’s month long festivities are in full swing, however the focus shifts to games with the ‘People of Play’ exhibition now live. Along with it is a full program of comprehensive talks and panel discussions.

The 2020 Fak’ugesi Arcade aims to raise the profile of the people and studios across the continent at the forefront of the African gaming revolution. The 13 African developers represented include:

West Africa:

  • Teddy Kossoko is a Nigerian video games and technology entrepreneur.. He created Masseka Game Studio, the first game studio in Europe to create content exclusively on African myths and legends. 
  • Hugo Obi is the founder of Maliyo Games, the first Nigerian indigenous gaming company and one of the early pioneers of mobile gaming in sub-Saharan Africa.
  • Joy Ajayi is a gameplay programmer with experience in game engines such as Unity and Unreal engine. She is also a Women in Games Ambassador and advocates for women in the gaming scene in Nigeria and Africa.
  • Eyram Tawia from Ghana is the CEO and co-founder of Leti Arts, an interactive digital studio that creates Afrocentric mobile games and comics. 
  • After working for Candy Crush developer King and narrative games studio Wooga, Italian-Ghanaian Game Designer Allan Cudicio founded his own company, Twin Drums. He is currently working on the PC game “The Wagadu Chronicles”, the first online Afrofantasy RPG.
  • From Senegal, Julien Herbin is a Video Game industry veteran and has worked as a programmer for Ubisoft. Julien is co-founder and CEO of Kayfo Games, a Dakar-based studio founded in June 2019, which focuses on delivering innovative and non-violent African themed games.

North Africa:

  • Walid Sultan Midani is the founder and CEO of DigitalMania Studio, the first video game development studio in Tunisia that specialises in VR and AR games for team buildings. Walid is also the founder of YouRun, a video game studio and publisher based in Malta, which focuses 100% on casual competitive games with the game: Warshmallows. 

East Africa:

  •  Jake Manion is a BAFTA-nominated creative director for games and interactive based in Nairobi, Kenya. He is Head of Product at Internet of Elephants, a games studio in Kenya that leverages the power of games to benefit wildlife and nature.
  • Dawit Abrahim is an award-winning game developer and the co-founder and CEO of Ethiopian based gaming studio, Qene Games. Dawit and his team launched Kukulu, a Pan-African 3D runner mobile game, which won the 2018 AppsAfrica Award for Best Entertainment App.  

Southern Africa:

  • Tutaleni Ilonga is a game developer, VFX artist, writer, filmmaker, upcoming comic book writer and the founder of TL Studios Entertainment. He is the first Namibian game developer to host a Global Game Jam and Game Jam Plus event in Namibia.
  • South African, Limpho Moeti previously worked at Free Lives (Broforce, Gorn) and was deputy festival director of South Africa’s playful media festival, Playtopia. She currently works as a producer at Nyamakop, developing African-inspired video games.
  • Estelle Mmathapelo Makhoba is an indie game developer based in Pretoria, South Africa, and works on games systems and artificial intelligence.

People of Play program

  • 2nd Nov – PEOPLE OF PLAY, LIMPHO MOETI: The Importance of being authentic & the commodification of Black Pain
  • 5th Nov – Games Skills Exchange, Juliette Auverny-Bennetot: Practical legal advice for indie game developers & new studios
  • 6th Nov -PEOPLE OF PLAY, WALID SULTAN MIDANI: Building A Studio Beyond Africa
  • 9th Nov – PEOPLE OF PLAY, EYRAM TAWIA:  Building for Games Education
  • 10th Nov – FAK’UGESI ARCADE: PAN-AFRICAN FUTURES & NETWORKING
  • 11th Nov – PEOPLE OF PLAY, TEDDY KOSSOKO: Gara Store – Let’s Make Cultural and Creative Industries Profitable in Africa
  • 13th Nov – PEOPLE OF PLAY, JULIEN HERBIN: From the West to Africa
  • 16th Nov– AFRICAN GAMES PUBLISHERS & MOBILIZING AFRICAN GAMES
  • 18th Nov– GENDER INCLUSION & DIVERSITY IN GAMES: AFRICA FOCUS

The 2020 Fak’ugesi African Digital Innovation Festival runs until 20 November 2020. To register for access and book tickets for special events visit Fak’ugesi.co.za.