Esports queens: Mzansi Esports Champions 2024 winners

African women esports players took centre stage at the Mzansi Esports Champions 2024, held during the rAge Expo from 30 November to 1 December in Johannesburg. The championship crowned ‘Iron-Fist’ Zahraa Khan from South Africa as the ultimate winner, while ‘QueenArrow’ Sylvia Wahome of Kenya secured second place and ‘Sentaku’ Safidy Andrianisoa from Madagascar claimed third.

Organised by SAGES Africa (Services for Africa Gaming & Esports) the Mzansi Esports Champions was a highlight of the Tekken Africa Queens Challenge, an initiative supported by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS). The event aimed to elevate female talent in esports, fostering inclusivity and empowerment in the gaming industry.

This year’s championship saw eight talented players representing their respective countries, competing for a prize pool of $2,500. The final rankings are as follows:

1. ‘Iron-Fist’ Zahraa Khan – South Africa
2. ‘QueenArrow’ Sylvia Wahome – Kenya
3. ‘Sentaku’ Safidy Andrianisoa – Madagascar
4. ‘Gwyn Stacy’ Matimbe Gweyneth Edina – Malawi
5. ‘Sugar’ Setsabile Shabangu – Eswatini (tied 5th)
6. ‘ATMBYTES’ Asante-Sana Maruwasa – Namibia (tied 5th)
7. ‘LiaRose’ Bwalia Nkumbula – Zambia (tied 7th)
8. ‘EL’ Liteboho Thebe – Lesotho (tied 7th)

Speaking of her win, Iron-First (Zahraa Khan) said:

I feel that this will open many more doors for me to compete internationally and solidify my status as a competitor. I’ve been competing for 7 years and I have been working as hard as I can at tournaments so that I can proudly say I’m up there with the best of the best Tekken players in South Africa, especially in a male-dominated society.I hope that I have inspired other women to play and keep playing. This was my first ever all-female tournament and I would like to see more of these in the future.

Commenting on the Champions, second-placed QueenArrow (Sylvia Wahome) said:

These events allow for women who are new to the world of gaming and esports get a foothold into the space without the undue scrutiny that is usually placed on minorities.

Sentaku (Safidy Andrianisoa) said:

My biggest challenge during the competition was overcoming the stress during the matches and still making it to the top 3, as it was my 1st tournament of such a large scale. For my part, I’ll continue to promote the ‘FightHer’ women’s tournament, which has already been running in Madagascar since 2022. I’ll also be sharing my experience with the girls and recommending that they also take part in mixed tournaments for more challenge and experience.

Building a future for African esports

The Mzansi Esports Champions 2024 reflects SAGES Africa’s ongoing commitment to building a vibrant and competitive esports ecosystem across the continent. Through strategic partnerships, SAGES Africa is empowering African players to compete on the global stage.

Désiré Koussawo, President of SAGES Africa said:

This was a dynamic, highly competitive and invigorating esports champions featuring some of the best women gamers on the continent. Mzansi Esports Champions offer gamers an opportunity to showcase their talent and skills, benchmark themselves and improve their playing. So much was learnt and gained at the Champions – and well done to the winners.

Alongside the Mzansi Esports Champions, rAge Expo hosted professional meetings and discussions around the gaming and esports sector in Africa. Particular emphasis was placed on women’s entrepreneurship in the world of gaming and esports in Africa. Emmanuelle Denavit-Feller, Regional Head of New Media, Film & Music at IFAS said:

The Champions and rAge provided a platform to highlight African women gaming prowess, while encouraging inclusivity in this male-dominated sector. Our partnership with SAGES Africa in this celebration of women in esports helps to foster and encourage women on the continent to engage with this ever-popular and growing international arena.