The African Gaming Championship (AGC), Africa’s premier esports event, is back with even greater ambition, aiming to catapult African gamers onto the global stage while nurturing a growing ecosystem that extends far beyond the controller.

Held for the second time after a successful pilot at UCT in 2024, this year’s AGC is not just larger; it has expanded its scope.

The event, hosted by the African Cyber Gaming League (ACGL) in Cape Town, GrandWest, is positioning itself as the launchpad for Africa’s rising esports stars, with global partnerships, prize pools reaching up to a million dollars, and a clear mission: structure, access, and recognition for African players.

“The African Gaming Championship has been created to be able to provide a platform and a connection opportunity for esports across the board,” said co-founder and managing director of ACGL, Nick Holden.

“We want to be able to create opportunities. We want to have people just connect some dots for themselves.”

AGC features school, university, and open divisions, maintaining accessibility while preserving competitive intensity. With over 125,000 registered players and 300 schools in its affiliated leagues, AGC aims to integrate esports into mainstream youth culture across the continent.

“We’ve essentially been operating in the esports space for the past 10 years,” Holden explained.

“One of our key goals is to be able to structure and orientate esports not only in Southern Africa but Sub-Saharan Africa as a whole.”

The championship’s structure includes online qualifiers leading to high-stakes finals, all culminating in a vibrant, real-world spectacle. This year, AGC is offering substantial prizes.

In partnership with Ubisoft and Brawlhalla, one standout player will win a trip to Atlanta, Georgia, to compete at BCX for a shot at a $200,000 prize pool.

“Somebody from this weekend, will qualify with plane tickets and accommodation to fly across to pursue their esports dream and actually play in that competition,” Holden said.

On Sunday, the action intensifies with the Call of Duty Mobile South African qualifier final, a gateway to the Carry First Africa Cup in Lagos, where the top African team will go on to the Call of Duty Mobile World Championships, competing for a staggering $1 million.

But AGC encompasses both competitive elements and cultural aspects.

“There’s a culture, there’s journalism, there’s content creation. And we want to be able to expose that world, but we also want to celebrate it,” Holden emphasised.

This ethos has attracted key media partnerships, including a landmark Rocket League broadcast deal with SuperSport, showcasing the continent’s talent to mainstream audiences.

“That series sees a top qualifying team three times per year from our local region to qualify for international events,” Holden added.

The championship also spotlights the infrastructure behind the scenes, coaches, content creators, and team organisers.

“It’s not just about the esports players, it’s really how do you create content, how do you build teams, how do organisations get involved,” Holden said.

AGC’s venues are alive with energy. 33 Fortnite teams are battling it out, Valorant and Rocket League matches are drawing crowds, and on the main stage, dreams are coming to life.

For Holden and ACGL, this is just the beginning.

“We should be included because of merit, we know this from even a South African standpoint, we love competing, and we’re really good at it. We just want the opportunity.”

IOL News

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