Morocco launches Gamification Lab to strengthen start-ups and drive Africa’s gaming growth
Government-backed initiative aims to grow Moroccan gaming start-ups, provide vocational training and expand the country’s digital economy.
Morocco.- Morocco has taken a major step to strengthen its role in Africa’s gaming market by launching the Gamification Lab, a government-backed initiative to accelerate local start-up growth and integrate gamification solutions across key sectors.
The program is being developed through a partnership between the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication and the Caisse de dépôt et de gestion (CDG), Morocco’s state-owned investment fund. It aims to transform the country into a hub for innovation in video games, education, health, tourism and culture.
The agreement was signed by Minister Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid and Khalid Safir, Director General of CDG in Rabat on November 13, highlighting their joint commitment to developing Morocco’s gaming start-up ecosystem.
Bensaid said: “The initiative is part of the national strategy to support small cultural businesses, especially those active in video games.” He highlighted the sector’s rapid expansion, noting that Morocco now counts around 40 gaming start-ups, compared with “just two or three in 2021”.
The Gamification Lab will create a national platform to promote and facilitate the adoption of gamification solutions developed by Moroccan start-ups. These solutions will be offered to public- and private-sector organisations, reflecting the initiative’s broad impact across education, health, culture, employment and tourism.
Building skills for Morocco’s gaming future
This new agreement follows recent efforts to organise and develop the gaming ecosystem. Last May, two agreements were signed to strengthen professional training in gaming-related careers: one introduced dedicated university programs in video game development, while the other created three vocational pathways: e-sport caster, e-sport streamer and video game laboratory technician.
Across Africa, the gaming market continues to gain momentum. According to a report by the African publisher Carry1st and research firm Newzoo, the sector generated $1.8bn in 2024, up 12.4 per cent from 2023. By comparison, global growth was only 2.1 per cent, underscoring Africa’s rising influence in the gaming industry.
Through this partnership, Moroccan authorities aim to strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem, support content creation and develop skilled employment, with the ambition of positioning Morocco as a leading hub for the creative and digital economy.
