Thanks to the local eSports organizations and gaming companies in South Africa, tournaments of different games at different levels are organized throughout the year.
Whether it's an ACGL tournament or any other organization with a contest, gamers in South Africa are always ready and willing to compete with all enthusiasm and energy. Statistics show that the compound annual growth rate of South African gamers in terms of market spending will be 55.6 percent by 2023, which is HUGE!
However, this growth rate isn't possible without the efforts of the local eSports organizations in South Africa. So we have listed some of the local eSports organizations you must know about in South Africa.
1) ACGL
If you are a South African gamer, you probably heard of ACGL gaming. The organization has been in the gaming industry for almost seven and a half years and has held over 2800 tournaments.
According to their website, the total number of teams associated with ACGL that have participated in the ACGL tournaments is over 28'200 and the matches held during this period are 72 851 . This organization aims to help educational institutions and brands make their way into the eSports industry.
Samsung, Playstation, Red Bull and Xbox are just some of the organizations that ACGL has worked with. With ACGL, players can compete in thrilling competitions to win rewards while finding their place in the leaderboards.
At ACGL, you can represent yourself with customizable avatars as you climb the leaderboards showing off your skills. The organization also offers monthly giveaways. All you have to do is post your gaming clips to get a chance of getting featured in their top 5 plays.
2) Mettlestate
The organization that supports eSports in South Africa the most has to be Mettlestate. Mettlestate gaming offers South African gamers the ability to show off their gaming skills through various tournaments.
Mettlestate conducts tournaments for all game genres, from Valorant, Mortal Kombat XL, to League of Legends; they have contests for every game. Each tournament has entry fees and a prize pool. Players can also support the organization through Mettlestate's merchandise and collectibles.
The best part about Mettlestate is that they offer tournaments for all gamers on all platforms.
3) DNMK
DNMK, pronounced "Dynamic," entered the gaming industry in May 2020. The goal of this local organization is to gather a team of talented players and prepare those players for different tournaments that are hosted locally and internationally.
The organization focuses on content creation and gaming culture and has partnered with Adidas SA and Predator Gaming. The organization's mission is to uplift the gaming industry while enhancing the eSports experience in South Africa.
The team at DNMK is supported by gaming enthusiasts who are devoted to the gaming community and ensure they achieve the organization's main goal of having better gamers in South Africa.
4) Maties eSports
The next South African organization on the list is called Maties eSports and was founded in 2019. Maties eSports is the official eSports club of Stellenbosch University. In the initial stages, the university didn't offer an eSports club due to lack of equipment and a proper venue.
However, now members of Maties organize regular events. The online tournaments are held through ACGL, while the organization hosts local tournaments on LAN.
Maties eSports also competed in the recent USSA Esports championships held in Cape Town from late September to early October 22. The eSports club also won the first edition of the USSA Esports championships back in 2019.
5) Bravado Gaming
Bravado Gaming is an MEA multi-gaming organization home to some of the best international and local competitive players. This eSports organization aims to improve the competitiveness and public appeal of eSports by raising standards, increasing spectator involvement, and creating opportunities for corporate sponsorship.
Their main goal is to challenge common stereotypes against games and gamers while helping the growth of competitive esports in Africa. Bravado was originally the name of a team that participated in a competitive Counter-Strike in South Africa in early 2002. The organization Bravado Gaming came into existence in 2006.
The founders of this organization are the two brothers Dimitri and Andreas Hadjipaschali. Bravado Gaming has been featured on several platforms over the years. The organization was seen and heard on radio, television and in various magazines. Some of the partners of Bravado Gaming include big companies such as Dell Technologies, Dell Gaming, Red Bull, Alienware and Intel.
6) Goliath Gaming
This multi-gaming organization was established in June 2017 and has competed for many titles since then. Some of the titles Goliath Gaming has competed for include Fortnite, FIFA, Tekken, and Counter-Strike and has represented South Africa in many tournaments that were held globally, like the World Electronic Sports Games in China, DreamHack in Delhi and the FIFA eNations Cup in London.
The founders of this organization come from various backgrounds from different professional industries, which offers them the variety they need to run Goliath Gaming.
The gaming industry has risen in South Africa over the years, and it is all possible due to the efforts made by South African gaming companies and local eSports organizations. However, every organization on the list has a common motive: to promote the gaming culture while ensuring that the players produced by these organizations are competitive and professional.
If there are more South African gaming companies or organizations, please do let us know and we'll update this blog.