en.Wedoany.com Reported - Google Play has launched its first dedicated fund for independent game developers in Africa, with an initial investment of $1 million covering 32 African countries, providing local studios with financial support, technical resources, and expert guidance to help them grow and expand into global markets.

The fund offers selected studios equity-free funding, technical support, and guidance from industry experts to help refine their game concepts and increase market visibility. Ben McOwen Wilson, Managing Director of Google Play for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, noted that individual selected studios could receive between $50,000 and $200,000 in funding. The fund is open to applicants from Benin, Botswana, Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Google stated that the program targets one of the biggest challenges facing African game studios: limited access to funding needed to develop and commercialize new games. McOwen Wilson said that Africa's unique creativity has fostered a vibrant game development scene, and the fund is designed to unlock studios' potential by providing resources to scale their businesses, refine creative visions, and share unique African stories with global audiences. The application deadline is July 31, 2026, and eligible game studios can apply through the Google Independent Games Fund application portal.