Nairobi recently became a meeting point for some of the most exciting conversations happening in global gaming.

At the Games for Change SDG Summit, leaders across gaming, education, technology, philanthropy, and policy came together to explore how games are creating impact far beyond entertainment and Maliyo Games was proud to be part of that conversation.

For us, this summit aligned perfectly with what we are building at Maliyo every day: creating African games, developing talent, and opening new pathways for young creators across the continent.

Bringing Africa’s Voice to Global Gaming Conversations

The summit brought together major global organisations including Google Play, Microsoft, Electronic Arts, Supercell, UNICEF, Arizona State University, Global Game Jam, and leading African gaming studios.

Being in that room reinforced something powerful—Africa’s gaming ecosystem is growing rapidly, and its creators are shaping important global conversations.

At Maliyo, we continue to champion African stories through games that reflect our culture, creativity, and everyday experiences. Events like Games for Change create opportunities to connect those stories to larger global conversations around education, innovation, and impact.

Sharing Insights on Africa’s Growing Gaming Industry

One of the standout moments from the summit featured Hugo Obi and Kieran Reid, who joined conversations focused on the future of Africa’s gaming industry.

The discussions explored key areas driving long-term growth:

• Talent development
• Infrastructure
• Distribution
• Monetisation
• Funding opportunities
• Emerging technology

These conversations reflect the work already happening across Maliyo as we continue building games while helping more young Africans access careers within the gaming ecosystem.

AI Is Changing Skills, Not Replacing Talent

Artificial intelligence also emerged as a major conversation across the summit—particularly around what it means for the next generation of game developers.

One of the strongest takeaways was that AI is reshaping entry-level roles by changing the skills junior developers need to succeed, rather than replacing talent altogether.

The philosophy shared during these conversations was simple:

Human first. Human last.

People still drive creativity, storytelling, and decision-making. AI simply becomes a tool that supports the process in between.

The broader message was clear: focus on learning first, then use tools as accelerators—not substitutes.

For Africa’s growing gaming ecosystem, this creates an important opportunity to equip young developers with both creative thinking and emerging technical skills that will keep them globally competitive.

Creating Pathways From Play to Career Opportunities

Another major highlight came as Dorothy Orina represented Maliyo Games and GameUp Africa in a panel discussion focused on learning and workforce development through gaming.

The session explored a powerful journey:

Play → Learn → Earn

Gaming continues to introduce young people to creativity and technology. Through structured training programs, mentorship, and global partnerships, that curiosity can grow into valuable skills and career opportunities.

This conversation strongly connects with the work happening through GameUp Africa, where we continue creating learning opportunities for aspiring African game developers.

It also builds on our recent partnership with Arizona State University’s Endless Games and Learning Lab, which expands access to globally recognised learning opportunities for African talent.

Celebrating African Innovation

One of the most inspiring moments from Nairobi came when Joanna Oluoch, a GameUp Africa alumna, won the Next Billion Players Award for her game ARGO.

Her augmented reality experience allows players to explore Kenya’s Oloolua Forest while promoting environmental awareness through gameplay.

Her achievement reflects exactly what makes African gaming so exciting—local stories transformed into globally relevant experiences through creativity and technology.

Link to project: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ARGO.ArGO 

What We’re Taking Forward

The Games for Change Summit reinforced something we strongly believe:

Games are becoming powerful tools for storytelling, education, job creation, and innovation.

At Maliyo, we remain focused on building games that entertain while creating long-term opportunities for African creators.

From developing original games to expanding GameUp Africa and building global partnerships, we are committed to helping shape the future of gaming across the continent.

And Nairobi was another exciting step forward in that journey.