This archive report was first published on 9 December 2019.
December 9, 2019
Kenya's gaming industry is about to get a boost from Usiku Games, a company that aims to shake up the market with games that promote African culture, conservation, and climate change awareness.
Co-founder Jay Shapiro, a Canadian entrepreneur, hopes to create games that are unlike what's currently available, with African heroes in African environments.
Usiku Games has developed 10 brain-teasing and trivia games for Africa's mobile phone users, with scenarios that promote a #GamingForGood culture.
One of the games, 'Turkana', allows players to direct water from the Kawalasee River to a farm, while 'Jam Noma' lets players drive a local matatu minibus and navigate congestion to complete the journey.
The company employs youths from Nairobi's Kibera to provide voices and produce rap music for the games in English, Swahili, and local slang, Sheng.
Usiku Games plans to charge users about 10 shillings ($0.10) to play a game in the future, with the winner earning coins that can be converted to cash in a mobile savings account.
Founder of Internet of Elephants, Gautam Shah, praised Usiku Games for focusing on socially responsible bite-sized games, but noted that their success will rely on how relatable these games are to local users.
