Africa Games Week Announces 2026 Theme and New Advisory Board to “Construct Africa’s Gaming Engine”
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA — Africa Games Week (AGW), the continent’s premier business-focused gaming event, is proud to announce its 9th edition will take place from 6 – 8 December 2026 in Cape Town. Following a year of “Shining a Spotlight” on continental talent, AGW is shifting its strategic focus from visibility to industrialisation with the 2026 theme: “Leveling the Foundation: Constructing Africa’s Gaming Engine.”
As the African gaming market experiences unprecedented growth, the 2026 mission moves beyond showcasing individual successes to building the permanent, structural systems required for a multi-billion-dollar ecosystem.
“In 2025, the world saw the incredible talent coming out of Africa,” says Rex Bowden, Co-founder of Africa Games Week. “In 2026, we are moving from visibility to viability. We aren’t just celebrating the game anymore; we are building the machine that makes African excellence sustainable and scalable. With the guidance of our new Advisory Board, we are hard-coding the future of the continent’s digital economy.”
To guide this ambitious vision, Africa Games Week is honored to announce its 2026 Advisory Board. This distinguished group of industry leaders brings global expertise to architect the next phase of the African industry:
Juney Dijkstra is the XDI Strategy & Business Innovation Director at Electronic Arts, where she supports the XDI team with enabling 50+ EA franchises & central teams like FC, Battlefield, The Sims, Apex Legends and Frostbite through finding, signing and optimising external development engagements with uniquely diverse partners worldwide. She is also the Founder & Director of the Game Production Community, a 6.000+ member B2B game industry community of producers, project managers and leaders focused on exchanging knowledge &experiences in pursuit of sustainable, diverse, and profitable game development practices.
Dean Gichukie is a creative industry professional. He is a storyteller & builder, specialising in the creation, production and distribution of creative content like music, games, film,Esports & TV. He is currently the CEO & Game Producer at Kunta Content. Kunta Content is an African game studio. Our vision is to make great African games. We are currently working on a suite of games, most notably HIRU a Maasai inspired 3D Video Game for consoles & PC. They have signed groundbreaking partnerships with Minecraft, Xbox & Microsoft as one of the few African studios to do so. They have also received support from Ubisoft, Epic Games & Steam.
Mutaleni Ya Toivo is an architect, plus-size fashion model, and international public relations manager for Edu-Game Namibia, currently based in Johannesburg. She works across design, culture, and youth innovation, with a focus on how visibility and storytelling shape what communities believe is possible. In fashion, she advocates for the inclusion of plus-size women and is committed to shifting the narrative around “ideal” body standards through representation and marketing that reflects real bodies and real lives, with a wider interest in confidence-building through visibility. In architecture, she is drawn to socially impactful, community-led projects and the questions shaping contemporary space, both physical and digital. In her role with Edu-Game Namibia, she has supported international growth by building partnerships, opening networks, and helping position the organisation for global opportunities. She also provides consulting support to brands and organisations, with an emphasis on partnerships and opportunity development.
Zoran Roso is a seasoned gaming industry veteran and founder of ZR Consulting, leveraging over 25 years of global marketing expertise. Previously Global Publishing & Marketing Director at Tencent Games, his career spans leadership roles at Sony PlayStation, Activision Blizzard,and Rockstar Games, to name a few. A strategic advisor to major publishers, Roso specializes in international brand development and live service strategies across console, PC, and mobile platforms.
Nick Hall, Co-founder of Africa Games Week, adds: “The strongest builds in gaming require a solid foundation and a collaborative party. By bringing these industry titans onto our board, we are ensuring that the ‘African Gaming Engine’ is built on world-class expertise. We are moving beyond potential and into the systematic construction of a global-scale industry.”
The 2026 edition will feature Virtual Regional Roadshows connecting hubs across the continent, culminating in the flagship event in Cape Town. Programs including AGW Policy Day, AGW Labs, and the AGW Awards will return as essential “development sprints” to stress-test and refine the African gaming engine.
For more information on Africa Games Week 2026, visit www.gamesweek.africa.
About Africa Games Week:
Africa Games Week is the leading business event for the African gaming industry. By bridging the gap between global capital and local creativity, AGW provides a platform for African studios to scale and for international stakeholders to discover the next frontier of the global games market.
Media Contact:
PR Manager
Nolwazi Magwaza | pr@gamesweek.africa | https://gamesweek.africa/
