• Microsoft has confirmed that the second edition of Xbox Game Camp in Africa will take place in July.
• The game development focused hybrid event will feature three in-person conferences in Johannesburg, Nairobi, and Casablanca.
• Those interested in gaming on the African continent can also tune in online.

Last year Microsoft launched a first of its kind two-day conference focused on game development on the African continent called the Xbox Game Camp. Now the conference is set to return in 2024, Microsoft confirmed.

Driven by the company’s Africa Transformation Office (ATO), the Xbox Game Camp aims to assist local developer talent and fast track the growth of the continent’s gaming industry.

This year the hybrid event will take place on 16th and 17th July, with it available to join online, as well as three in-person event scheduled for Johannesburg (South Africa), Nairobi (Kenya), and Casablanca (Morocco).

“We’re excited to bring Game Camp to Africa for a second year running and look forward to strengthening its impact within the gaming community through practical new additions to the programme. Africa has a long track-record of giving rise to top developer talent, and we believe that affinity for producing tech talent can be harnessed to usher in a new era of exponential growth within the African gaming industry,” noted Kalane Rampai, MD of Microsoft South Africa, in a release sent to Hypertext.

Much has been said of the money that is involved with the gaming industry, and while some efforts have been made in terms of fostering talent and helping them to take advantage of this burgeoning segment.

To that end, Microsoft adds that the, “Game Camp aims to alleviate the financial burden that comes with video game development education by offering the conference free of charge to participants.”

“Microsoft is aiming to build on the considerable progress made by the first edition of Game Camp Africa, which was attended by 600 game developers across the continent,” it continued.

In fact the company shared that after last year’s Xbox Game Camp multiple African-based studios signed up for Microsoft Founders Hub. “Local creators such as Kunta Content, the first African Minecraft Marketplace developer, reaching new levels of success. The Nairobi developer has secured a partnership with the ID@Xbox Developer Acceleration Program to release an Xbox console version of their action game Hiru, which is based on African lore,” it highlighted.

“Participants will also have the opportunity to present gaming and business ideas to a panel of experts who will then provide them with focused mentorship and coaching… Online resources include targeted training modules that closely match developers’ individual skills and interests. What’s more, participants can engage with these modules both before and after the event,” the company concluded.

To participate in the free conference, individuals can apply before 15th June, but there are some requirements.

Here applicants must be of legal age, reside in any country on the African continent, and be studying or working part or full-time in the field of software development, visual arts, 3D, music and audio, web design, narrative design, or professional project management.