With 200+ teams and over 1,000 players, this year’s tournament is set to be the largest and most competitive yet.

In a landmark move for African esports, the Carry1st Africa Cup has also been officially recognized by Activision as a qualifying tournament for the Call of Duty: Mobile World Championship 2025, unlocking a direct route for African talent to compete internationally at the biggest stage.

Building on the success of last year’s event, which featured teams from five African regions, the 2025 edition will include players from seven African regions: Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, North Africa (Egypt & Morocco), Kenya, Uganda, and Francophone West Africa (Cameroon, Ivory Coast, and Senegal).

This marks the second installment of this year’s flagship Carry1st Africa Cup, highlighting the company’s continued commitment to Africa’s competitive gaming scene.

Carry1st’s Call of Duty: Mobile tournament will run from May through to July, culminating in August with the LAN Grand Finals in Lagos, Nigeria, where a $15,000 prize pool will be up for grabs.

The champions of the Carry1st Africa Cup will secure Africa’s coveted slot in the Call of Duty: MobileWorld Championship 2025 and compete for their share of an astounding $1,000,000 prize pool on the global stage.

Regional qualifiers will run over the next three months to determine which teams advance to the LAN Grand Finals. With matches to be held on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, each region will go through its own group stage, playoffs, and regional finals.

“We are excited to announce the return of Call of Duty: Mobile as part of our Carry1st Africa Cup this year,” said Guillaume Noé, VP of Growth at Carry1st. “Last year was incredible and showed us what this continent’s talent can do when given the right platform.

“Now we’re raising the stakes with more players and more regions. For the first time, our tournament has also been recognised by Activision as a qualifier for the Call of Duty: Mobile World Championship 2025, meaning that gamers aren’t just playing for home pride; they’re also competing for the chance to play against the world’s best.”

As part of Carry1st’s ongoing commitment to inclusivity for gamers across Africa, a special Wildcard Slot has also been introduced to the Qualifiers.

This Wildcard will allow African teams from countries outside the seven primary qualifying regions, such as Mauritius and Tunisia, to enter, ensuring the chance for pan-African representation on the world stage.

“We’re thrilled to be collaborating with Carry1st on the Africa Cup.  This tournament is shaping up to be a major moment for African esports, creating real opportunities for the best Call of Duty: Mobileplayers regionally to break through and compete globally,” said Jeffrey Gullett, co-head of Call of Duty: Mobile at Activision. 

How to Enter

Registration opens on Saturday, 3rd May, via the Carry1st Africa Cup website. Closing dates vary by qualifying region; please check the website for details.

Teams must consist of a minimum of five starting players and one substitute. The competition welcomes both amateur and professional gamers, provided participants are residents of the country they represent in the qualifiers.

The regional qualification stages will run from May to July, culminating in the LAN Grand Finals in Lagos, Nigeria. Carry1st will also support travel arrangements for qualifying teams, ensuring that all teams can attend the finals.

The Carry1st Africa Cup: MLBB Women’s Invitational (MWI) Qualifier will kick off the Carry1st Africa Cup 2025, and also function as the official Esports World Cup (EWC) MWI 2025 Africa Qualifier, with victors qualifying for the MLBB Women’s Invitational at the Esports World Cup 2025 in Saudi Arabia later this year.

As the first event of the Carry1st Africa Cup 2025, it is the first in a series of esports competitions to take place across the continent this year. Carry1st’s inaugural Africa Cup in 2024 hosted top esports pros from across the continent battling for a $15,000 prize pool. 

The Carry1st Africa Cup MWI Qualifier will provide a dedicated stage for female gamers to compete and showcase their talents at the highest level. It will unfold in multiple stages: 

• Two online qualifiers, one for Egypt and another for the rest of Africa, will feature 32 teams each, competing in a double-elimination bracket of playoffs and final rounds
• The winners of the qualifiers will go on to compete in a grand final at Cairo’s Insomnia event, where the champions will secure a spot at the Esports World Cup (EWC) in Saudi Arabia later this year

Key dates:

• Wednesday 26th March: Registration opens on the website.
• Wednesday 2nd April 2025: Registration closes for applicants to the MLBB qualifiers
• Friday 4th to Sunday 6th April: Online qualifiers for teams competing from the Rest of Africa category, which covers South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Cameroon, Senegal, Rwanda, Tanzania, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Uganda, Tunisia, Algeria
• Thursday 10th to Saturday 12th April: Online qualifiers for competitors based in Egypt
• Thursday 24th to Saturday 26th April: During Insomnia Egypt, two teams will compete on the esports stage in a single elimination championship final, with the winners booking their ticket to the Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia

Despite Africa’s growing gaming community, the continent remains underrepresented on the global esports stage, with limited participation in major gaming tournaments due to infrastructural and logistical challenges. As it supports Africa’s burgeoning gaming ecosystem, Carry1st is committed to changing that, one tournament at a time. 

Lucy Hoffman, co-founder and COO at Carry1st, comments:

“I am especially excited for MLBB; it marks the first women’s tournament for the Carry1st Cup and sets the stage for an exciting year ahead, with even more to come. Last year, the Cup was a huge success, and this year, we’re taking it to the next level. Africa has the talent, passion, and drive, and we are committed to providing players with the platform they truly deserve.”

Ray Ng, Head of Esports Ecosystem at Moonton Games, comments:

“MOONTON Games is delighted to join forces with Carry1st to extend our esports initiatives to Africa. We are witnessing a thriving esports ecosystem across the continent and are particularly proud to be able to help talented female players from Africa make their mark on the global stage. This partnership represents our commitment to nurturing diverse talent and creating inclusive competitive opportunities for all players, everywhere.”

This is the first instalment of the Carry1st Cup 2025, with more tournaments taking place throughout the year. Stay tuned for key timelines, announcements, and the full roadmap as Carry1st continues to redefine Africa’s presence on the global esports stage.

MLBB has grown into a popular game in the global esports scene and was one of the most-watched titles at the Esports World Cup (EWC) last year, with the 2024 MLBB The MWI 2024 Grand Finals peaking at over 250k viewers. 

According to the analysis commissioned by Carry1st, the African gaming market reached over $1.8 billion in 2024 (representing 12.4% YOY growth vs. 2023), outpacing global gaming growth sixfold (2.1% YOY growth).

Mobile gaming drove this growth, representing nearly 90% ($1.6 billion) of Africa’s $1.8 billion gaming market in 2024. 

Data reveals an estimated 349 million gamers across the African continent, of which 304 million were mobile gamers. The number of gamers grew by 32 million from 317 million in 2023, representing a 10% year-over-year (YoY) increase.

These latest figures mark the first time data released by Carry1st has encompassed the entire African continent rather than being limited to sub-Saharan Africa, as it was in previous years. In 2021, when Carry1st’s analysis focused on sub-Saharan Africa, the number of gamers was estimated at 186 million.

Africa’s Gaming Revolution

Africa’s gaming market is evolving rapidly, emerging as a major force in the global gaming landscape. In 2023, Newzoo and Carry1st projected that sub-Saharan Africa’s gaming market would reach $1 billion by 2024. 

This growth highlights Africa’s evolution from an emerging market to a major player in the global gaming industry. With widespread mobile adoption, increasing internet access, and innovative payment solutions driving expansion, Africa’s gaming market continues to grow. As global markets see slower growth, Africa’s rapid growth underlines the market’s enormous potential.

Key findings:

• The number of gamers in Africa increased by 32 million in 2024, from 317 million to 349 million, representing a 10% year-over-year (YoY) increase.
  • Mobile gamers made up 87% of the total player base, with 304 million playing on mobile.
• Africa’s gaming market grew six times faster than the global average, with global growth sitting at just 2.1% YoY in 2024
• The African gaming market grew from $1.6 billion in 2023 to $1.8 billion in 2024, representing a 12.4% year-over-year (YoY) increase.
  • Mobile gaming continues to dominate, accounting for $1.6 billion of the total $1.8 billion market, with a 14% YoY increase

• Closely examining countries in the region based on forecasts for 2024, the data reveals:
  • Egypt led with $368 million in revenue, followed by Nigeria ($300 million) and South Africa ($278 million).
  • Eritrea and Niger were the fastest-growing countries in gaming revenue, while Equatorial Guinea and Seychelles were the slowest-growing.

Carry1st CEO and Co-founder Cordel Robbin-Coker comments,  “Building on our previous collaborations with Newzoo, this new data illuminates the explosive growth of Africa’s gaming market. The dominance of mobile gaming, making up nearly 90% of the market, highlights the distinct path Africa is taking — leapfrogging traditional platforms. With such growth in players and spending, it’s clear that Africa is one of the few places to find secular growth in an industry that is otherwise showing signs of maturity.”

Michiel Buijsman, Principal Games Market Analyst at Newzoo, adds, “Africa’s gaming sector is growing rapidly and outpacing global trends, which signals that the continent is catching up and its growth cannot be overlooked. With a fast-growing mobile online population and 90% of its $1.8 billion market coming from mobile gaming, it’s clear where growth opportunities can be found.”

This partnership will enable the expansion of Blood Strike, the popular first-person shooter from NetEase Games, across the MENA region, home to over 380 million gamers. 

With a vision to enhance gaming accessibility, Carry1st brings its cutting-edge payment solutions to the region, making it easier for players to access and enjoy top-tier gaming experiences.

Carry1st will work alongside Stellar Gate Games to help drive the growth of the gaming ecosystem across the MENA region.

Having enabled access across Africa to some of the world’s most popular mobile titles, including VALORANT and Call of Duty: Mobile in recent years, Carry1st is now extending its payment solutions in the MENA region. 

As part of this targeted expansion to support Stellar Gate Games, the partnership leverages Carry1st’s proprietary Pay1st platform, enabling players to make payments using local methods such as mobile money, digital wallets, and bank transfers.

Building on the formation of Stellar Gate Games by NetEase Games and Sandsoft in 2024, this partnership will enhance accessibility for millions of gamers in MENA, one of the world’s fastest-growing gaming markets with over 380 million players.

First launched in 2023, Blood Strike has gained global traction as a highly popular first-person shooter battle royale game. Renowned for its fast-paced action and competitive gameplay, the title celebrated surpassing 50 million downloads worldwide in August 2024. 

“Partnering with Stellar Gate Games is a key step in our mission to make gaming accessible to players everywhere,” said Lucy Hoffman, COO of Carry1st. “We are excited to bring our payment solutions to select countries in the MENA region, helping deliver localized content and create a seamless gaming experience for players across the region.”

Steve Zhang, CEO of Stellar Gate Games, added: “We are excited to join forces with Carry1st to expand Blood Strike’s reach in MENA. The company’s deep understanding of local markets and payment solutions will ensure a smooth experience for players in the region.

“Carry1st’s expertise in local payment methods and its innovation in unlocking access to games makes it an ideal partner. This collaboration will make it easier for players to engage with and enjoy our games.”

With this partnership, Audiomack’s customers across Africa can now easily access premium services by paying through local methods, enhancing their experience of streaming their favourite artists.

Renowned for providing consumers across Africa access to exclusive gaming content for popular titles like VALORANT and Call of Duty: Mobile, Carry1st’s payment solution, Pay1st, enables consumers to pay for digital items via a range of local payment options, such as mobile money, popular digital wallets, and bank transfer.

This new partnership with Audiomack demonstrates Carry1st’s expansion beyond gaming, highlighting the Shop’s growing diversity of content.

The Carry1st Shop offers seamless access to a wide range of products, including daily essentials (airtime, data, and electricity), game gift cards and top-ups, lifestyle and entertainment vouchers.

Audiomack, Africa’s leading music streaming platform, serves millions of African music fans. With a strong focus on emerging and independent artists, particularly in the hip-hop, rap, and Afrobeats genres, Audiomack is the top-ranked music streaming app on Apple iOS in Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Senegal, and Kenya.

Audiomack’s day, week, and month pass subscriptions will be available for purchase via the Carry1st Shop in local currencies in  Nigeria, Egypt, Ghana, South Africa, Kenya, Morocco, Tanzania, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Rwanda, Uganda, and Senegal. 

Subscriptions allow music fans to remove ads, unlock special app features, and bring their support of artists to the next level. This includes unlimited downloads, downloaded playlists, HiFi streaming and more.

To celebrate this collaboration, customers can take advantage of a flexible and affordable subscription pricing model, with 10% off on all passes.

Guillaume Noé, VP of Growth for Platform at Carry1st, commented on the partnership: “We’re really excited to be partnering with such an important platform like Audiomack, which champions entertainment and shares our passion for providing options to African consumers in the entertainment space. This partnership is a testament to our growth and the versatility of the Carry1st Shop. Not only are we unlocking popular games, but we’re now also unlocking the music that people love.”

Charlotte Bwana, VP of Marketing at Audiomack, noted; “Audiomack is incredibly excited to partner with Carry1st to expand our presence across Africa and make it easier for music fans across the continent to access premium features. Carry1st has been impactful in growing Africa’s gaming industry for creators and users, and we are confident we can replicate this approach in the music space.”

Following qualifying rounds, the surviving teams will gather in-person for a dramatic final showdown. The tournament will also award $1,000 to the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the grand finals, with MVP prizes available across all regional matches.

Africa’s esports scene is experiencing rapid growth, driven by the continent’s growing young population. With over 60% of Africans aged under 25, there is immense appetite for and rising participation in competitive gaming, especially on mobile devices.

As smartphones become more prevalent, the need for expensive hardware and high-speed internet to compete at the highest levels is fading away.

To meet this growing demand, the ecosystem is evolving to provide gamers with an elevated experience. Carry1st, which develops, licences, publishes and monetizes games on the continent, recently partnered with Call of Duty: Mobile to deploy dedicated servers in Nigeria and South Africa for this growing community.

The Carry1st Africa Cup signals the bright future of esports in Africa, amidst the backdrop of a burgeoning gaming market expected to surpass $1 billion this year. 

Carry1st CEO and Co-Founder Cordel Robbin-Coker comments, “Carry1st Africa Cup is a realization of our vision of uniting the continent’s gamers and reflects our broader mission to enhance gaming experiences in Africa. We’re excited to bring together Call of Duty: Mobile teams from major gaming hubs like Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa. We’re proud to play our part in this booming esports ecosystem that will only continue to grow across the continent.”

“Having laid the groundwork with the successful launch of COD:M servers in Nigeria and South Africa, we are excited to take the next step by bringing competitive gaming to the forefront. The Cup is set to be an exhilarating celebration of African gaming talent, and we can’t wait to witness the action unfold,” adds Guillaume Noé, VP of Growth at Carry1st.

In addition to the fierce competition on the virtual battlefield, participants can also look forward to yet-to-be-announced performances from the continent’s biggest musical artists and a hub of gaming entertainment for fans.

How to Enter 

Registration for the Carry1st Africa Cup will open on Monday 27th May via the Carry1st website.

Teams must consist of a minimum of 5 players, and the competition is open to amateur and professional gamers alike. Participants from across the continent will compete using Call of Duty: Mobile’s multiplayer functionality.

Upon registration, players will receive special lobby codes for their matches, granting them access to exclusive gaming lobbies where they will face off against other teams to compete for a spot in the finals and to win the Cup.

The qualification stages are expected to run throughout June and July, which will culminate in the tournament’s finals, set to take place in August 2024, with regional champions taking part.

Carry1st will support any travel arrangements for teams unable to travel for the finals, ensuring that all qualifying teams can participate.

Carry1st, Africa’s leading game publisher, has introduced EA SPORTS FC Mobile top-ups on the Carry1st Shop, in a partnership with Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), the global leader in digital interactive entertainment. 

With Carry1st and EA’s joint effort, gamers are now able to recharge their FC Points and Silver in local currency and use their payment method of choice.

EA SPORTS FC Mobile is a mobile football simulation game featuring over 15,000 fully licensed players across 650+ clubs from 30+ official leagues. 

The game has millions of fans on the continent, with the partnership adding to the list of leading mobile game top-up offerings on the Carry1st Shop, joining the likes of Call of Duty: Mobile and Supercell titles such as Clash of Clans, Clash Royale and Brawl Stars. 

EA SPORTS FC Mobile customers can seamlessly purchase content via a range of local payment options through Carry1st’s proprietary payments platform. Once purchased, the customer’s EA SPORTS FC Mobile account will be automatically topped up – no vouchers, pins, or hassle required. 

Spencer Ma, Growth Lead at Carry1st, commented: “We’re ecstatic to partner with EA to launch EA SPORTS FC Mobile products on Carry1st Shop, enabling local gamers to purchase the in-game items that they love, using local payment methods and currencies. Adding EA as another Pay1st partner, alongside Activision and Supercell, reaffirms our belief that top-tier publishers are focusing more on growing revenue and player base on the African continent.” 

The partnership with Carry1st comes as the domestic e-payments market in Africa is expected to reach around $40 billion by 2025, which is due to the continent’s mobile-first consumer base. 

By 2025, there will be 613 million mobile phone users across Africa – an increase of 100 million users, a third of which will come from highly populated countries like Nigeria and Ethiopia. 

The rapid adoption of smartphones and digital payment innovation has contributed to this surge of mobile gaming in the region – research from Newzoo saw $862.8 million generated in revenue in 2022, up 8.7% year over year, the only region to experience this growth.

Players of EA SPORTS FC Mobile can get a 20% bonus on FC Points and 10% bonus on Silver on the Carry1st Shop from now until 17 March. 

Carry1st will run weekly competitions for EA SPORTS FC Mobile fans throughout March in a campaign titled Project Golazo, which will see the mobile publisher collaborate with some of the continent’s biggest football personalities and offer competitions for players to win prizes.

The games tournament, run by its esports wing Tribe will come to Lagos Mainland – in an aim to make the event as accessible as possible to young gamers.

Taking place on Saturday, 1 July 2023, the event expects over 1000 gamers in attendance. “We aim to uplift and engage the average everyday gamer,” says Dominion Eromosele, Senior Community Manager at Carry1st.

The event adds to Carry1st’s ecosystem for gamers, with the company’s Shop providing accessible payment methods for gamers and Tribe socials engaging a community of over 425, 000 members.

What to expect

1stival will see professional and casual gamers compete in both console and mobile-based tournaments, like FIFA, Call of Duty: Mobile, Mortal Kombat, Free Fire and more – for a whopping 500,000 Naira prize. It will also showcase popular skitmakers, Layi Wasabi and Rodney, in a FIFA battle, where fans will get to meet the influencers and experience the competition.

Gamers will also have the chance to play board games, arcade games and retro games. But it’s not just about winning – 1stival is also bringing together the gaming community for a day of fun, competition, and camaraderie.

What’s more?

Not into gaming? No problem. 1stival brings a variety of side attractions to keep you entertained all day long, including live music performances.

For those who prefer a more immersive gaming experience, 1stival boasts interactive gaming zones to explore virtual reality adventures and retro gaming throwbacks. And for fans of older generation consoles, be sure to check out the Throwback and Celeb contests.

Attendees can engage with industry experts and influencers through interactive panel discussions and gain valuable insights into the future of gaming, its trends and technological advancements. 1stival remains committed to expanding the gaming community by fostering collaboration and encouraging high-level conversation.

How to attend

Don’t miss out on the gaming experience of a lifetime. Tickets are available for FREE.

As the official licensor and publisher of Mobile Premier League (MPL) in Africa, Carry1st will enable new players to access one of the world’s largest Paid Competitive Gaming (PGC) platforms. 

MPL has proven success in multiple territories, with a strong presence in Asia, North America and Europe. A new form of gaming, PGC allows users to participate in skill-based gaming contests.

Commenting on the launch, Sai Srinivas, Co-Founder and CEO, MPL, said, “We are incredibly excited to bring MPL to various African markets through our partnership with Carry1st. As our first market, Nigeria’s thriving gaming community and its position as the largest economy in Africa make it the perfect market for us to expand into. We are confident that gamers in this market will embrace MPL and its growing collection of games, and we look forward to providing them with an unforgettable gaming experience.”

“We’ve been impressed with MPL for years and are thrilled to expand the company’s reach to Africa. With over 60 games to play and a sophisticated liveops platform, we believe MPL provides one of the best products we’ve evaluated for our market. We’re excited to activate our growing community around this new endeavor,” shared Lucy Hoffman, Carry1st Co-Founder and COO. 

Carry1st is partnering with MPL to optimize the product for African markets, starting with Nigeria. MPL has integrated Pay1st, Carry1st’s monetization-as-a-service platform. With Pay1st, MPL provides over 120 local payment methods for in-game purchases across Carry1st’s markets in Africa. 

Carry1st has continued to work with, and expand, the globe’s biggest games. The launch of MPL comes off the back of its partnership with Call of Duty®: Mobile in South Africa in 2022. Most recently, the company raised $27 million led by BITKRAFT Ventures with participation from Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), TTV Capital, Alumni Ventures, Lateral Capital, Kepple Ventures, and Konvoy. 

In 2022, Carry1st signed a partnership with Riot Games to pilot local payments for the company’s games in Africa. Riot Games is the developer and publisher behind League of Legends — the most-played PC game in the world. Riot Games is an early investor in Carry1st and has been a continued supporter of the business.

The round for Carry1st was led by Andreessen Horowitz with participation from new investors such as Avenir and Google, with follow-on investments from Riot Games and TTV Capital. 

While the African gaming industry has significant monetisation potential, international/regional game developers/studios operating there often find monetisation difficult, due to fragmented game distribution channels and payment methods. 

Carry1st is leveraging its knowledge of Africa to handle the distribution needs of its partners, while also aggregating different payment methods to make in-game payments seamless for gamers when they interact with their or partners’ games. 

The company is based in South Africa with a team size of 37 people working fully remotely across 18 countries with plans to scale to other African countries.

Business model

Who: Carry1st’s stakeholders include – game developers/studios (looking to market their games to local and/or international audiences), gamers (who interact with their or partners’ games) and fintechs (with whom it partners for airtime/ticket sales and provision of in-game payment options). 

What: Carry1st was founded in 2018 as a game studio to develop its own games but subsequently pivoted more towards publishing, where it handles the distribution, marketing and financing of mobile games for game developers/studios. 

How: Game developers looking to partner with Carry1st typically fill a form on the latter’s website stating – the game title, number of published games, video/presentation about the game, for example, all of which it reviews before deciding on whether to follow up with the company or not.

Revenue model

The company claims that revenue from games increased ~90% on a MoM basis since 2H21, and that it has signed publishing deals for seven games with six studios globally. Further, Carry1st typically adopts a revenue share model with its partners, whilst leveraging its expansive network to drive distribution, visibility and gamer retention within and outside Africa for them. 

Recently, it launched an online marketplace for selling virtual goods e.g. airtime/mobile data to gamers, who pay either via bank transfers/crypto, thus enabling it to earn a margin on each sale.

Future plans

Monies raised will be used to expand its content portfolio and engineering teams. It also plans to double down on its user acquisition efforts while exploring game co-development opportunities with studios. Finally, it plans to develop its infrastructure to support play-to-earn gaming in Africa, hence its decision to venture into web3 following this raise.