Southgame studio was co-founded in 2021 by three young, black, South African women namely Avuzwa Ntshongana, Nkateko Nompumelelo and Tenyeko Mosikili. It is an indie game studio and the trio puts their heart and soul into what they enjoy the most, video games. Their expertise is in the creation of video games but they also offer web development and animation services.

The studio has a couple of awards under its belt. They came second place during the Games for Change Africa serious game design sprint that took place at Africa Games Week. A year before that they were third-place winners at the 2021 Fak’ugesi Game Hackathon which was sponsored by Telkom and hosted by the Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct.

Since the inception of the studio, they’ve had a commitment towards 3D visualization and the high gameplay quality of their games. That is why they specialize in Unity, which allows them to develop high-quality products and agile performance.

Their title Sizwe Iqhawekazi LakwaZulu is a 3D game inspired by African stories. The main character is a teen girl on a quest to lead ibutho (zulu name for a regiment of zulu warriors from the same age group). She must fight her way to earn the king’s trust. Most importantly; she must learn the impact women had during wars in South African history.

The game targets children and young adults, both male and female, from ages 14-35. However, it has been created in a way that anyone who plays it can enjoy it. To follow Sizwe’s journey check out Southgame studio’s Twitter and Instagram.