Cape Town - Despite what the folks say about streaming and e-sports not being a “real job” in South Africa, the industry is rapidly growing – and Comic Con Cape Town is raising the bar.
According to Comic Con Cape Town and Comic Con Africa show director Carla Massmann, Comic Con Cape Town promises to boost the e-sports industry by offering accessible entry to casual tournaments as an entry point for a players who are starting a new e-sports career.
The event will also highlight established and professional tournaments with high stakes.
“By offering both an entry point to the field, as well as celebrating existing points of contact, Comic Con Cape Town is raising the bar for the e-sport industry in South Africa by providing a platform for local gamers to showcase their skills on a national level,” Massmann told IOL.
It is safe to say that the South African e-sports industry is looking promising as an increasing number of gamers and tournaments have been and are being held throughout the country.
Brands are also getting on board, which spells big things (*cough* big money *cough*) for the industry.
“We have seen more brands wanting to enter this (e-sport) space. This shows two things: as money comes in from large brands, the stakes are raised for the players, which ultimately leads to increased growth of the South Africa e-sports scene. With larger prize pools, players are encouraged to hone their skills and ‘go hard’ in tournaments, which ultimately contributes to increasing the quality of e-sports players that South Africa can be proud of and send off to represent the country internationally,” said Massmann.
Massmann continued: “Competitive gaming is being viewed as an economy rather than a hobby. As investment, sponsorship and other financial backing enter the e-sports scene, South African e-sports is being taken more seriously. Although the industry is still relatively new, with the increasing interest and investment from various stakeholders, the future projections are very positive.”
But how will Comic Con Cape Town contribute to bettering the South African e-sports industry?
According to Massmann, Comic Con Cape Town aims to elevate the standards for casual and competitive e-sports by offering world-class production as well as working on promotion of the events and provide accessibility for players to compete and for spectators to engage.
Comic Con Cape Town says that by providing a platform for gamers to showcase their skills and compete against each other, the festival can play a part in the crucial role of growing the e-sports industry in South Africa and give more gamers the chance to turn their passion into a career.
IOL