Africa Day: Celebrating the Continent’s Creative Power
Africa Day, celebrated each year on May 25, commemorates the founding of the Organisation of African Unity and shines a light on African unity, progress, and cultural excellence. In 2025, Apple joins the celebration with a dedicated App Store feature highlighting creators and studios across the continent and Maliyo Games is proudly front and center.
This moment is more than a spotlight, it’s a celebration of African ingenuity, cultural pride, and creative storytelling, all wrapped in gameplay millions enjoy.
Maliyo Games Featured in Apple’s Africa Day Collection
Maliyo’s Crazy Ludo, Safari City, and Whot King are featured in the App Store’s Africa Day editorial collection. These titles aren’t just games; they are vibrant cultural experiences. Each has received a special Africa Day update, crafted with input from African developers and creatives, including graduates from GameUp Africa, Maliyo’s game development training program.
Let’s take a look at what’s new across each game.
Crazy Ludo: Classic Fun Meets African Vibes
Crazy Ludo reimagines the beloved board game with power-ups, dazzling boards, and animated characters.
What’s New for Africa Day:
- 🎉 Limited-Time Events with themed tournaments and exclusive challenges
- 🎨 Africa-inspired customizations for tokens and game boards
- 🎯 New daily missions and surprise rewards all week long
With pass-and-play and real-time multiplayer, Crazy Ludo blends nostalgia with modern fun. This update takes it a step further by rooting the experience in the vibrant design and rhythm of the continent.
Safari City: Build, Design & Play the African Dream
In Safari City, you’re a top property developer revitalizing African neighborhoods. Complete match-3 puzzles featuring juicy African fruits to earn coins, unlock furniture, and bring dream homes to life.
Africa Day Brings:
- 🖌️ A refreshed user interface reflecting Afrocentric design
- 🏡 New customization features to style authentic African homes
- 💬 Expanded storylines featuring vibrant characters like Mama Gold
- 🌆 Visually rich cityscapes based on African architecture
Safari City isn’t just about gameplay, it’s a love letter to African community, aesthetics, and design traditions.
Whot King: Naija’s Favorite Card Game, Reinvented
Whot King digitizes Nigeria’s classic card game with bold visuals, strategic gameplay, and multiplayer fun. It remains one of Maliyo’s most downloaded titles and it just got an Africa Day twist.
New This Week:
- 🏆 Africa Day Challenge Mode, letting you face off against African-themed characters
- 💥 Limited-edition card decks with heritage-inspired artwork
- 🌍 A celebratory tournament trail set across African cities
Whot King keeps the soul of traditional Whot while adding fresh features and flair to delight new players and veterans alike.
GameUp Africa: Powering the Future of African Gaming
These updates were made possible by GameUp Africa, Maliyo’s flagship talent accelerator. Launched in 2021, it has trained over 6,000 aspiring African game developers in design, programming, and publishing.
What makes GameUp special?
- Participants receive industry-relevant skills and mentorship
- Graduates work on real game projects — including this Africa Day update
- It builds a pipeline of local talent, reducing reliance on external resources
Many of the developers contributing to Crazy Ludo, Safari City, and Whot King came through this very program, proving that Africa can develop, design, and deliver at global standards.
The Africa Games Industry Report: Charting the Path Forward
Published by Maliyo and partners, the Africa Games Industry Report is the most authoritative resource on gaming across the continent. It offers hard data, analysis, and forecasts that are already shaping investment and education strategies.
Why does this matter?
- 💡 For studios, it provides insights into markets, revenue trends, and player preferences
- 💼 For investors, it proves the ROI potential of African game dev
- 📱 For developers, it highlights the tools, platforms, and opportunities to scale
- 🎮 For gamers, it shows how rapidly the African scene is growing
With the second edition published in 2024, the report is fast becoming a must-read for anyone serious about the business of play in Africa.
More Than a Moment; It’s a Movement
The Africa Day 2025 App Store feature is a powerful validation of African creators. But it’s also a signal of something deeper: a moment when African culture, innovation, and storytelling step confidently onto the global stage through games.
Maliyo Games stands proud, not just as a studio, but as part of a thriving community reshaping the future of play.
Download & Play the Africa Day Games
Experience these vibrant updates now through May 30, 2025:
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