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Archives of Business Research – Vol. 13, No. 2
Publication Date: February 25, 2025
DOI:10.14738/abr.132.18353.
Ngoma, P., Moyo, G., Gororo, G., & Nhliziyo, M. (2025). The Emerging Gaming Sector in Zimbabwe: Obstacles and Opportunities
for Revenue Generation. Archives of Business Research, 13(2). 61-71.
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
The Emerging Gaming Sector in Zimbabwe: Obstacles and
Opportunities for Revenue Generation
Permanent Ngoma
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences,
Lupane State University
Gorden Moyo
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences,
Lupane State University
Gloria Gororo
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences,
Lupane State University
Mbongeni Nhliziyo
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences,
Lupane State University
ABSTRACT
This article discusses gaming as a potential financing mechanism. It explores the
opportunities presented by the emerging gaming sector in addressing Zimbabwe’s
development financing woes. The rise of the gaming industry is a global
phenomenon propelled by the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and Artificial
Intelligence (AI) both of which define the current period as a Digital Era. This digital
era is characterized by technological developments such as Internet of Things,
nanotechnologies, robotics, biotechnologies, blockchain technologies, 5 generation
technologies, autonomous vehicles, AI and numerous others. In this new and still
emerging age, daily life including work, business, shopping, learning, and leisure,
has become inextricably linked to digital technologies. What is more relevant for
the present analysis is the increasing penetration of mobile devices, expanding
internet connectivity, and rising access to digital platforms. The article also
explores several obstacles including regulatory constraints, lack of investor
awareness, and inadequate technological infrastructure as major barriers to the
growth of the gaming industry in Zimbabwe. Besides exploring the obstacles and
opportunities, the article also proposes various ways that can be deployed in order
to scale-out and scale-up the gaming industry in Zimbabwe. The proposed measures
could possibly position the country as a competitive player in the regional and
global gaming market.
Keywords: Fourth Industrial Revolution, Gaming industry, Revenue diversification,
Online gaming, Zimbabwe.
INTRODUCTION
This article privileges online gaming as an innovative financing mechanism. It explores the
opportunities presented by the emerging gaming sector in addressing Zimbabwe’s
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Ngoma, P., Moyo, G., Gororo, G., & Nhliziyo, M. (2025). The Emerging Gaming Sector in Zimbabwe: Obstacles and Opportunities for Revenue
Generation. Archives of Business Research, 13(2). 61-71.
URL: http://doi.org/10.14738/abr.132.18353
several digital Start-ups that have emerged across the continent. These have become the key
drivers of the online gaming industry in African countries including Kenya, Nigeria and South
Africa as well as Zimbabwe where the industry is still in its infancy.
There is hardly any doubt that the proliferation of iPhones, iPads, iPods and smartphones
coupled with “free internet” offered by Facebook’s Free Basics and Google Station in countries
like Nigeria and South Africa have improved internet connectivity, hence, made gaming more
accessible to a broader audience, especially the youth. It should be noted from the outset that,
mobile gaming, which accounted for 50 percent of global gaming revenues in 2022, has become
the dominant platform for gaming particularly in the Global South (Newzoo, 2022). As a matter
of fact, countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America are witnessing a surge in mobile gaming
adoption, creating opportunities for increased revenue generation for these economies. It is
instructive to note that in recent years, the eruption of the COVID-19 pandemic acted as a
catalyst for the phenomenal rise of the online gaming sector in Africa and elsewhere in the
world. During the COVID-19 lockdown era, a significant portion of the population resorted to
online games as a means of entertainment. Thus, in a short period of time the gaming industry
has grown from relative obscurity to a significant sector with the potential to contribute to the
economies of the Global South including Zimbabwe.
What is particularly relevant for this discussion is that the gaming has evolved as a multi- billion-dollar global industry, driving technological innovation, creating employment
opportunities and generating government revenue (Newzoo, 2021; Statista, 2023). For
example, in 2023, the global gaming market was valued at approximately US$200 billion with
projections indicating it will surpass US$300 billion (Statista, 2023). Today, the gaming
industry contributes significantly to Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with nations such as the
United States of America and China as well as South Korea leading the market. These countries
are currently generating billions of dollars annually through taxes and licensing fees associated
with gaming activities (PwC, 2022; Statista, 2023). Indeed, governments worldwide are
leveraging the gaming industry as a source of public revenue.
Notwithstanding the recent surge in online gaming in Africa, it should be noted that the industry
is still at its infancy. Its potential remains underexplored, its infrastructure is underdeveloped,
its regulatory framework is inadequate and investment in it is yet to be ‘fully-charged’.
However, the gaming sector in Africa is expected to surpass US$1 billion in annual revenues by
2027 (Siele, 2024). Available evidence indicates that countries such as Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya,
Nigeria and South Africa are emerging as pacesetters in the development of the gaming industry
in Africa. These countries have relatively more advanced digital infrastructures, larger gamer
bases, and expanding investments in digital entertainment compared to the rest of the
countries on the continent (Onyango, 2022).
In line with the continental trends, the gaming industry in Zimbabwe is poised to grow rapidly
in the coming years. The industry, including online gaming and e-sports, is projected to grow
significantly, with revenues expected to surpass US$60 million annually in the next few years
(Statista, 2024). With its struggling economy, characterised by inequalities, fiscal deficits,
unemployment and currency instability, it is prudent for the Government of Zimbabwe to
explore the gaming sector as a potential source of revenue generation through taxation and