Johannesburg - Video games are about more than entertainment. They can promote athleticism, teamwork, healthy competition and new avenues to teach learners resilience, initiative and focus.
To further these goals, technology leader Acer and the leading independent school network in South Africa, Curro, hosted a three-day indaba to explore the role of gaming and esports in education.
The Curro eSports Indaba, April 17–19, hosted by Curro and funded by Acer as part of its Acer for Education initiative, brought together experts from the gaming, esports and education fields at the Protea Hotel in Stellenbosch.
Delegates participated in presentations and events such as keynotes delivered by Microsoft engagement manager Stephen Reid, Goliath Gaming’s operations and team manager Thulani Sishi, and online marketing guru Gill Attwood.
Delegates also joined breakout tracks that cater across the spectrum of experience – from beginners to the world of esports to experts, covering topics such as coaching esports at different school and professional levels, mindful coaching and team management, tournament planning, streaming and shoutcasting, future of esports in South Africa, and esports and the modern workplace
The indaba hosted plenaries, panels and group discussions, unpacking the opportunities between esports and education from different levels. Day 2 took place at the ATK Arena in Claremont, adding a slice of the sporting lifestyle that has become a part of esports.
The indaba forms part of Acer and Curro’s ongoing relationship. Acer has been Curro’s esport partner since 2022, providing technical support such as maintaining the servers which Curro’s learners can use safely, and providing sponsorship, including the African Cyber Gaming League (ACGL) licence that designates Curro’s players as official esports competitors.
In March, Acer and Curro hosted the first Curro Crash LAN event of 2023, where more than 200 players gathered to compete in popular games such as “Minecraft Education: Capture the Flag”, “Dota 2”, “Overwatch 2” and “Rocket League”.
“Acer is very proud to associate with the Curro eSports Indaba. Video games are about much more than having fun. Esports, in particular, can teach people lessons and values that they take with them into their studies, their interactions with others and even into their future workplaces.
Curro puts a lot of effort into esports as an extracurricular activity and rely on Acer to deliver reliable and safe online spaces for their learners. This is about more than games – it’s about honing young minds for the technology future.
The indaba amplifies that commitment, and we look forward to the positive ideas and connections it will create,” said Glenn du Toit, country manager at Acer.