Google Play at the moment launched its first Indie Video games Fund, committing $1 million to help rising, progressive recreation studios from throughout 32 international locations in Africa to scale their video games and attain a world viewers. The fund gives equity-free capital, technical help, and knowledgeable mentorship empowering African recreation builders with the talents and assets they should thrive.
Whereas the African area is wealthy in inventive expertise and residential to among the world’s most compelling storytelling, restricted entry to capital has too usually held again promising recreation studios. This programme addresses that barrier, delivering the vital monetary and technical assets required for African indie builders to refine their inventive visions, optimise their video games, and share uniquely African tales with a world viewers.
Programme help & funding highlights
- Direct capital injection: Chosen studios will obtain a share of the $1 million fund, with particular person allocations starting from $50,000 to $200,000 to develop and elevate their video games
- Skilled steerage: Along with monetary backing, recipients will profit from devoted, hands-on mentorship from trade specialists
- Technical help: Studios will obtain direct steerage to optimize their video games, refine their technical frameworks, and enhance market discoverability
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“Africa’s distinctive creativity has fuelled a vibrant recreation improvement scene,” mentioned Ben McOwen Wilson, Managing Director, Europe, the Center East and Africa for Google Play. “Bringing this fund to the continent underscores our dedication to unlocking the immense expertise of native studios, offering the assets wanted to scale companies, refine inventive visions, and share uniquely African tales with a world viewers.”
Eligibility necessities & timeline
The appliance course of is now open to impartial recreation builders who meet the next standards:
- Location: Candidates have to be formally registered and primarily based inside one of many eligible African international locations
- Studio dimension & standing: Candidates should function as a personal, non-publicly listed impartial studio with 50 or fewer staff
- Product portfolio & platform dedication: Candidates should have already launched a cell, PC, or console recreation. Chosen studios should commit to creating their recreation accessible on Google Play and collaborating non-exclusively within the Google Play move subscription programme for 2 years
How one can Apply
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Candidates can overview the eligibility standards and submit their entries by means of the official program portal at Indie Video games Fund 2026 earlier than the window closes at 3PM EAT on 31 July 2026. Ultimate picks and the announcement of the ten chosen studios will happen in September.
The Indie Video games Fund is open to candidates from Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Central African Republic, Congo (DRC), Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
