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Powering Play: Safaricom Hosts Inaugural Gaming Conference
Safaricom has hosted its first-ever Gaming Conference at the Michael Joseph Centre in Nairobi. The event, themed “Level Up Africa: Unlocking Gaming Potential in Africa,” brought together gamers, developers, influencers, investors, and pop culture fans. It was a day of learning, fun, and bold ideas.
The forum explored how gaming is shaping the future. Discussions covered eSports, game development, technology, policy, and investment.
In addition, the conference doubled as a pop culture celebration. Attendees enjoyed movies, TV shows, music, cosplay, performances, and merchandise exhibitions.
“Gaming is more than just play it’s talent, creativity, and opportunity. At Safaricom, we believe in powering the youth and building platforms where skills can turn into careers, innovations, and thriving communities,” said Fawzia Ali-Kimanthi, Chief Consumer Business Officer at Safaricom.
Powering Play: Safaricom Hosts Inaugural Gaming Conference
Safaricom’s Role in Gaming and eSports
Importantly, the conference also addressed challenges in the space. These included weak policy frameworks, limited investment for developers, and the risk of losing African talent abroad.
Safaricom has long supported gaming and eSports. In 2019, it launched an eSports tournament with Pro Series Gaming (PSG). The competition targeted youth aged 18–26 and provided both mentorship and empowerment opportunities.
Later, in 2021, the company introduced the MobiPlay Challenge. This eight-week online competition, run through the Games Lounge service, offered daily and weekly prizes plus a grand reward.
Last year, Safaricom rolled out a 90-day contest called Wai Ndai. The challenge featured daily cash vouchers worth KES 500,000 and three Suzuki Altos as grand prizes.
More recently, Safaricom powered the 2025 Otamatsuri Gaming Convention at KICC through its 5G network. As a result, participants enjoyed high-speed, low-latency connectivity that enabled smooth gameplay and real-time interactions.
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