E_kasi Gaming Expo showases eSports

Acer Africa presented at the e-Kasi Tech Fest and Gaming Expo in Orlando West, Soweto from 25 to 27 October.
e-Kasi is the first eSports club in Soweto that aims to utilise the festival as a platform for entrepreneurs determined to improve the ICT sector.
e-Kasi Fest 2017, which was held this week at the Uncle Tom Hall, Orlando West, was attended by industry leaders, policy makers, innovators but also aspiring entrepreneurs seeking to learn more about the opportunities available in the information technology industry.
One of the biggest drawcards at the event was the focus on the development of women in gaming, with Charmaine Van Niekerk, head of gaming at Acer Africa, covering the topic “Women & eSports: Taking a Close Look at Diversity in eSports”.
“Acer Africa’s aim is to encourage women to game, thus gradually transforming the eSports environment making it inclusive and attainable to all. We are also penetrating less fortunate communities and bringing gaming to those who aren’t necessarily in a financial position to game on an elite level,” says Van Niekerk.
According to the organsiers of e-Kasi, there is an increasing number of black youth and SMME’s at risk of exclusion from the digital transformation and migration, which if not adequately addressed will further reinforce and deepen the current existing socio-economic landscape in the country.
“This expo seeks to build expertise between academia, private sector, policy makers and professional players interested in looking at the social, cultural, and economical dimensions of eSports. Within the South African context there exists a need to launch fruitful and long term collaborative agendas to understand the nature of these issues and to establish networks needed to bring about practical and sustainable social change,” Van Niekerk adds.