Teddy Kossoko: The Driving Force Behind Senegal's Booming Gaming Industry

A groundbreaking gaming hub is set to emerge in Senegal, thanks to a €300,000 investment announced recently. This initiative is the result of a collaborative effort between Toulouse-based games studio Masseka, the French Embassy in Senegal, the General Delegation for Rapid Entrepreneurship in Senegal, and Dakar-based studio Kayfo Games. The funding will be used to create a hybrid structure, combining an incubator and a development studio, in the Senegalese capital. The primary objective is to boost the local gaming industry and put Senegal on the West African gaming map, with developers invited to train in the new hub from September. Teddy Kossoko, an engineer by trade and founder of Masseka, is leading this project. Kossoko created Masseka in 2018, focusing on games that showcase African cultures. He is also the mastermind behind Gara, a marketplace designed to distribute and monetize games across the African continent. With approximately nine years of experience in the video games industry, Kossoko initially worked as an engineer in the science and management sector, specializing in the space industry. However, upon arriving in France in 2012, he noticed a lack of awareness about the African continent. This sparked his desire to tell African stories through games, leading him to establish the first video game company in France that focuses on African stories. Two years later, he developed Gara, a platform that integrates various payment systems, catering to the African market where credit cards are not widely used. The creation of the Dakar gaming hub is an extension of Kossoko's efforts to cater to African audiences and create sustainable ecosystems on the continent. The idea for the hub emerged last year when Kossoko was in Senegal, solidifying partnerships with telecom companies for Gara. In Africa, telecom companies play a significant role in transactions, and Kossoko met with a representative from the French Embassy in Senegal, who had previously worked in the French Embassy in South Africa. This meeting led to a discussion about developing a similar gaming ecosystem in Senegal. The initial proposal was for an incubator, but Kossoko preferred a hybrid model, combining a gaming studio and an incubator. This approach would enable the launch of game jams, idea generation, and the selection of top developers and artists, who would receive contracts to train and produce games within the studio. Kossoko's ultimate goal is to have a production studio that creates content based on Senegalese and West African cultures, which can be monetized through Gara. The plan is to analyze the trajectory of the projects, generate data about the ecosystem, and share the findings to build a robust ecosystem. The vision is to make the hub sustainable, with the games created and revenue generated keeping the activities going. The French Embassy accepted Kossoko's terms and even increased the initial funding. The country's current gaming industry can be divided into unofficial and official sectors. While telecom companies generate revenue from games, this unofficial ecosystem primarily benefits the telecom companies and does not contribute to the growth of a local game development scene. In the official ecosystem, there are approximately four indie studios in Senegal, with most of them relying on contracts to survive. However, there are thousands of game developers without structures or entities, who create small games on their laptops. The hub aims to provide these developers with access to tools, training, and a chance to professionalize. The idea is also to collaborate with local studios and, eventually, Western companies on co-productions. Kossoko highlights the obstacles that have hindered the development of a sustainable gaming ecosystem in Senegal, including securing a stable electricity supply, accessing the right hardware, and navigating the challenges of bringing a game to market. Additionally, developers in West Africa often lack government support, which is essential for the growth of the industry. The DER will provide fully equipped offices for the new hub, and the game jam in September will kick off the initiative, helping to discover new talents. A market study on Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, and Nigeria is planned for release in September, which will be published and presented to stakeholders. In conclusion, Kossoko discusses the future of gaming on the African continent, stating that it is accelerating rapidly. When he started building games for Africa, the topic was not of interest, but now there is a lot of interest and funding. However, most big companies are waiting for individuals like Kossoko to do the groundwork before they invest. To build a sustainable ecosystem, it is essential to invest in studios, incubators, and education, teaching Unity, Unreal Engine, and other relevant skills.