An initiative providing equity-free capital, technical support, and expert mentorship aimed at empowering African game developers with the skills and resources they need to thrive has been launched by Google Play.
Tagged Indie Games Fund, Google Play is committing $1 million for the scheme, with calls for entries expected to close on July 31, 2026.
Applications are open to independent game developers across 32 countries in Africa, including Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Central African Republic, Congo (DRC), Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
They must be officially registered and based within the eligible African countries. They must also operate as a private, non-publicly listed independent studio with 50 or fewer employees, and must have already launched a mobile, PC, or console game.
Final selections and the announcement of the 10 chosen studios will take place in September. Selected studios must commit to making their game available on Google Play and participating non-exclusively in the Google Play Pass subscription programme for two years.
Business Post gathered that selected studios will receive a share of the $1 million fund, with individual allocations ranging from $50,000 to $200,000 to expand and elevate their games.
In addition to financial backing, recipients will benefit from dedicated, hands-on mentorship from industry experts, and studios will receive direct guidance to optimise their games, refine their technical frameworks, and boost market discoverability
While the African region is rich in creative talent and home to some of the world’s most compelling storytelling, limited access to capital has too often held back promising game studios.
This programme addresses that barrier, delivering the critical financial and technical resources required for African indie developers to refine their creative visions, optimise their games, and share uniquely African stories with a global audience.
“Africa’s unique creativity has fuelled a vibrant game development scene. Bringing this fund to the continent underscores our commitment to unlocking the immense talent of local studios, providing the resources needed to scale businesses, refine creative visions, and share uniquely African stories with a global audience,” the Managing Director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Google Play, Mr Ben McOwen Wilson, stated.
