🎬Candy-crushing it

February 06, 2025

Good morning. In today’s episode of “What goes around, comes around”, Anthropic, the AI company behind a chatbot named Claude, is asking job applicants to promise that they won’t use an AI assistant to write up their application. Apparently, using AI would keep them from understanding applicants’ true motives.

Just wondering if they’ve wondered about their customers’ true motives.

— Obafemi Ayomide, Edna Akanni

CURRENCIES

Currency exchange rates against the US Dollar as of market close. Here’s what these numbers mean

ENTERTAINMENT
The gaming industry in Africa is ballooning

The market for gaming in Africa has shifted from ‘emerging’ to ‘emerged’. This week, a report released by South African games publisher, Carry1st showed a revenue total of $1.8 billion in 2024 for console and mobile game subscriptions on the continent, posting a growth rate six times higher than the global average in 2024.

The number of gaming enthusiasts also ballooned to 350 million, a 10% increase from 2023.

Big names spending

Despite economic reforms that saw sky-high inflation cut deep into consumer spending, the usual culprits of Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa were responsible for most of the growth in gaming spend. Egypt accounted for the most gamers in 2024 with the gaming industry in Egypt estimated to be worth over $368 million, one-fifth of the total statistical figure for Africa.

  • Nigeria came in a close second, with gaming revenue estimated at $300 million in 2024, despite having fewer gaming enthusiasts.

  • South Africa rounded out the podium, tallying just shy of $270 million for the year.

Mobile or Console? Many thanks to Chinese smartphone maker Transsion who through owning half of Africa’s smartphone market share thanks to its Tecno, Infinix, and Itel brands, compared to high-end options from Samsung, Apple, and Huawei has put more phones in more African hands, and subsequently more gamers according to Spencer Ma, a director at Carry1st. “Because smartphones are less expensive and easier to use, mobile gaming has become a more popular and cost-effective alternative to high-end consoles and computers” he added.

Candy-crushing it…If you’re wondering which games topped the charts, staples like Candy Crush and Roblox did. First-person shooter games such as Call of Duty: Mobile, PUBG Mobile, Bloodstrike, and Free Fire also became very popular. -EA

DIGITS
$100 billion for “techy” eyewear

Andrej Sokolow/Getty

With Mark Zuckerberg’s recent fascination with “masculine energy” and gold chains dominating chatter about the Meta CEO, it can be hard to remember his longer-running, much nerdier obsession with making tech you’re willing to wear on your face. But, even as he pushes for efficiency, Zuck is still willing to spend big to make that dream a (non-virtual) reality: Meta’s total investment in VR and AR smart glasses is on track to exceed $100 billion this year, per the Financial Times.

SHOWER THOUGHTS

“On the road” and “on the street” describe two completely different ways of life.”

NEWS
Round the continent

Stephanie Busari/CNN

  • M23’s ceasefire did not last long. Yesterday, they took over Nyabibwe, etching closer to the capital, Kinshasa.

  •  Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of Ismaili Muslims in East Africa has passed away at age 88.

  • The Libyan military officer, wanted by the ICC was released by Italy back to Libya on account of a faulty arrest warrant. Reports hold that instead, Italy released him to secure their boundaries from migrants crossing over into Europe.

  • Flutterwave, the Nigerian payments company has said it will consider an IPO only after it turns a profit.


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