Google Launches Sh129.5 Million Fund for Kenyan and Africa

Kenyan game developers are among those set to benefit after Google launched a Sh129.5 million (USD1 million) fund targeted at supporting independent game studios across Africa to develop and scale their products for the global market.

The Google Play Indie Games Fund, unveiled on Wednesday, July 1, will provide equity-free funding, technical support and mentorship to selected independent game developers from 32 African countries, including Kenya.

Under the programme, successful studios will receive between Sh6.48 million (USD50,000) and Sh25.9 million (USD200,000) to expand their games and grow their businesses without giving up ownership stakes.

The programme is open to independent game studios with 50 or fewer employees that are registered in any of the 32 eligible African countries, including Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana and Zambia.

The funding will also be open to applicants from countries such as Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Central African Republic, DRC, Cote d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

In addition to financial support, Google said the selected developers will receive technical guidance, business mentorship and opportunities to showcase their games to a global audience through the Google Play platform.

"Africa's unique creativity has fuelled a vibrant game development scene. Bringing this fund to the continent indicates our commitment to unlocking the immense talent of local studios," said Ben McOwen Wilson, Managing Director for Google Play in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Applicants must have already published at least one mobile, PC or console game and commit to making their games available on Google Play while participating in the Google Play Pass programme for two years if selected.

Google said the initiative seeks to address one of the biggest challenges facing African game developers, limited access to funding, which has slowed the growth of many promising studios despite the continent's growing pool of creative talent.

Applications opened on July 1 and will close on July 31, with the technology giant expected to announce the 10 successful game studios in September.

The selected developers will also receive hands-on support from Google experts to improve their games, strengthen their technical capabilities.

The programme presents an opportunity for local developers to secure funding while showcasing locally developed games and African stories to international audiences, as Kenya's digital economy continues to expand.