• The annual rAge Expo has landed in Johannesburg and will be running from 8th to 10th December 2023.
• Fans of gaming and tech from across the country will converge at the Gallagher Convention Centre to indulge in their favourite pass times.
• The expo will also highlight and showcase interesting career opportunities available in the local gaming industry, as well as education in coding, animation and local is lekker games.

The rAge Expo 2023 is here and this weekend gamers and lovers of tech are descending on the Gallagher Convention Centre to experience their favourite passtime ramped up to 11.

We already know that joiners of the annual NAG LAN will get to experience superfast internet (of up to 40Gbps) from Vuma and Clear Access, but while blistering multiplayer action is happening in the background, the expo also serves to highlight how gaming can actually be used for education, and how this can be a fun experience too.

In particular, the runners of the rAge Expo have this year brought several exhibitions across the convention centre that highlight the future career opportunities that South Africa has in its burgeoning gaming industry.

As well as loads of interesting activities to get neurons firing, eyes twitching and fingers clicking and clacking.

One of these experiences is an innovative way to get kids involved and introduced to the world of coding and robotics. At rAge 2023 you can experience this unique approach to teaching coding through engaging activities at the Kiddies’ Play Zone.

For example, using Lego bricks, participants will learn fundamental computer skills, fostering problem-solving abilities and creativity. Limited sessions will be available on all three expo days, so early arrival is recommended, say the Expo staff.

“The concept is simple: each person receives a set of 2×4 different coloured bricks, with each brick translating to a specific action or ‘line of code.’ Participants engage in hands-on activities where these colourful bricks become the building blocks of their coding adventure. Through this tactile and interactive method, Unplugged Coding transforms abstract coding concepts into a tangible, accessible learning experience for children, providing them with a solid foundation in computational thinking,” rAge organisers explain in a press release sent to Hypertext.

At rAge, private tertiary education institute Eduvos will be on hand to explain two of its newest qualifications now available in South Africa – Higher Certificate in Information Systems (Game Design and Development) and a Higher Certificate in Computing (GameCraft and Development).

Visitors can witness Eduvos’ student gamers in action at RGB’s stand, competing in an Apex Legends tournament. The event will also celebrate Eduvos’s Game Jam winners, featuring custom games developed by students of the institution.

Coding academy WeThinkCode, as well as the Animation School will be on hand where those interested can find out more about persuing careers in these tech-minded fields. Coding and development is considered one of the top-earning and most in-demand jobs in South Africa, if not the entire continent.

Meanwhile, South African animation continues to make an international splash with studios like Triggerfish being featured by the likes of Disney.

In addition to these exhibits, the proudly South African gaming landscape will receive some well-needed showcasing as several local games will be playable at stands, reminding us that there is talent and game-makers from South Africans can find success.

These include:

• Ingozi Games – Poached : Hunt The Hunter

A first-person shooter that blends old-school gameplay with crafting, looting, and RPG elements.

• Meow Meow Wizard Arena

Join epic battles of chonky wizard cats in ‘Meow Meow Wizard Arena,’ an online multiplayer game developed over 18 months.

• Glitch Portal – Themba: The Last Hope:

This retro-pixel roguelike adventure, set in Azania, follows Themba and the spirit of Shaka Zulu on a quest to save a kidnapped friend.

• World Turtle

Explore enchanting world of ‘World Turtles,’ a captivating game currently in early access with over 39,000 Steam wish lists.

• Avoid – ΔVØID

A fast-paced first-person endless-runner with a twist. Navigate through eight procedurally generated environments, overcoming merciless obstacles with jumps, slides, dashes, and twists.