In the last few months I’ve probably started to annoy you with all my eSports ramblings. My best friends are horrified that my Friday nights are spent watching CS:GO on Twitch as opposed to going out. I admit, I have a problem… only I have no inclination to fix it.
It’s the most cliched saying of the past few months but South African eSports is blowing up.
You don’t need to play video games to enjoy watching the action on TV or live. I think that is why it has taken off overseas, it is such a rad spectator sport. The drama behind the scenes also makes it really entertaining! The online squabbles, the grudges, the team changes, the rags to riches stories – they all draw you in and keep you coming back for more.
Much like I enjoy watching Ronaldo falling on the floor during a football match, I enjoy watching CS:GO. I especially love watching South African eSports because its exciting to see it sitting on the edge of an explosion in to greatness, to be witness to the start of something big. That’s why I’ve become a fan and that’s why I try convince everyone I know to watch it.
Recently I was invited to host a panel at ICON 2016 on the state of eSports in South Africa. As a fan it was nerve wrecking and exciting to guide this discussion. Panel guests included DeWet Lombard-Bovey from nAvTV, Barry ‘Anthrax’ Louzada and Stefan ‘Nefan’ Smit from eNergy eSports.
The GeekXP crew and Global Access recorded the live panel (which was streamed on Twitch courtesy of AlwaysOn WiFi) and sent me the recording which I’ve added to my YouTube Channel. It’s a taste of South African eSports for you and in the 45 minutes includes a rather heated argument, a good looking and loveable player for you to put on a pedestal and an awkward single question from the audience.
