Young workers drive South Africa's video games industry

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As a child, Devlyn van der Walt dreamed of becoming a video game developer, creating games from paper in his hometown of Middelburg.

As a child, Devlyn van der Walt dreamed of becoming a video game developer, creating games from paper in his hometown of Middelburg.

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Despite the odds, Devlyn's passion led him to a job at Johannesburg-based 24 Bit Games, part of South Africa's small but thriving video games industry.

Despite the odds, Devlyn's passion led him to a job at Johannesburg-based 24 Bit Games, part of South Africa's small but thriving video games industry.

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South Africa's video game industry is expanding, driven by young talent and the local 'can-do' culture, making it a growing force on the global stage.

South Africa's video game industry is expanding, driven by young talent and the local 'can-do' culture, making it a growing force on the global stage.

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But challenges remain, as high internet costs and expensive tech limit access to gaming for many young South Africans.

But challenges remain, as high internet costs and expensive tech limit access to gaming for many young South Africans.

A small, but thriving, video games industry. Growth has been noticed overseas - 24 Bit Games was bought by Californian game publisher, Annapurna Interactive, in November. Part of the success comes down to the increased availability of junior level staff, who are being trained up by more university courses.