Sundaymail Editor
The Global esports Federation (GEF) has confirmed the staging of the first African Esports Championships: Southern Africa Region in Lilongwe, Malawi, in December.
The GEF marquee event will feature globally renowned titles eFootball 2023 and Street Fighter V: Champion Edition, and they will be staged in parallel with the African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region Five Youth Games set for December 2-11.
“We are proud to partner with the visionary leadership at AUSC Region Five to bring the Global Esports Federation’s marquee event to Southern Africa,” said Chris Chan, president of the GEF
“Our ‘worldconnected’ community is excited as esports athletes will have the opportunity to showcase their skills and talents as they represent their countries and territories at a global event such as this,” he said.
“esports is the future, and we are excited to unlock it for youth across the AUSC Region Five,” reiterated Stanley Mutoya, CEO of the AUSC Region 5.
“It was an easy proposition to the Council of Ministers in the region, who approved that we stage it as a demonstration in Malawi this year with a view to have it as a full medal sport in Mozambique in 2024,” he said.
The African esports Championships: Southern Africa Region will be further enhanced with the flagship GEFcon — with global thought leaders, stakeholders and idea creators from esports and adjacent industries sharing views and
opportunities with the future of esports.
The GEF and the AUSC Region Five will jointly establish structures to oversee the coordination of the event.
The AUSC Region Five Council of Ministers was updated on the developments in esports, including the Commonwealth esports Championships staged in Birmingham and the South American esports Championships that concluded earlier this month in Asunción, Paraguay. — globalesports.org
Bongani Ndlovu