Vodacom has announced a partnership with rAge, the gaming, technology and geek culture expo taking place from 27-29 September 2019.
Vodacom has long been a long-standing supporter of sports in South Africa and has already made a substantial investment in driving funding and growth in local sports. This move into the South African gaming and esports scene is a natural progression for the future of the brand.
“We have been following the South African gaming and esports scene intently over the past few years,” says Jorge Mendes, chief officer at Vodacom Consumer Business. “Gaming and esports is one of the largest and fastest-growing industries in the world and South Africa is home to many gamers with an intense passion for it.
“From casual gamers who enjoy indulging in their passion from the comfort of their own home or on their mobile handset allowing them to participate in their passion anywhere, anytime, to those who compete in esports at a competitive level – and everyone in between – Vodacom’s vision is to become the Gamers Network of Choice.
“This partnership with rAge is just the beginning as it allows us to participate in a large entertainment market. As part of our long term commitment to the gaming and esports scene, Vodacom World, our Flagship Digital Mall will also play host to a variety of gaming events and experiences providing gamers with an opportunity to experience our network speeds and capability first hand.”
Globally, gaming is big business. Out of 7,6-billion people on the planet, there are approximately 2,2-billion gamers. This includes social gaming, mobile gaming, as well as free-to-play and pay-to-play multiplayer gaming. Of these players, globally, there are about 380-million esports viewer fans – 165-million of them regular viewers and 215-million occasional viewers.
THe rAge event is 100% proudly South African, giving local gamers having access to global platforms.
“This partnership with Vodacom is a significant surge forward for the gaming industry in South Africa, and particularly for rAge. It is another leap forward for the future of gaming in South Africa and I look forward to where this will eventually take us all. And now the Future is Exciting with Vodacom rAge” said Michael James, senior project manager for rAge.