As part of its 30th anniversary celebration, MTN Ghana has unveiled a new initiative to drive Ghana’s participation in the global gaming industry through the launch of the 2026 DigiFest Game Developer Contest.
The competition, hosted at the College of Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), is designed to discover, nurture and empower local game developers to create games that reflect Ghanaian culture and identity.
The maiden edition attracted over 50 entries from young developers across the country, out of which 10 finalists were shortlisted to defend their projects before a panel of judges.
According to the Manager for Video and Gaming at MTN Ghana, Mr. Yaw Antwi Boadu, the initiative is aimed at building local capacity and cutting Ghana’s dependence on foreign-developed games which dominate the African market.
“For too long, African stories have been told by others. This contest is about giving Ghanaian developers the platform to tell our own stories through games that preserve our culture and generate income,” he said.
He indicated that MTN intends to make the contest an annual event and rotate it across various regions to encourage wider participation. The current edition is being implemented in partnership with KNUST, following a previous collaboration on an Artificial Intelligence competition.
Two Categories, 10 Finalists
The shortlisted projects are divided into two categories. Five from tertiary institutions and five from community developers.
In the University category are games titled Sankofa, Megamind, Fourcorners, Four Goal Football and The Warehouse. The Community category has KONK, African Household Drama, RPS Boxing, Path Puzzle and Akofena.
They will be judged on user interface and user experience, code quality, creativity, gameplay and commercial viability.
Mr. Boadu noted that gaming goes beyond entertainment, saying it could be used as a tool for education in areas such as financial literacy and agriculture. He clarified that the contest is strictly about digital game creation and not betting.
Prizes, Mentorship and Commercial Support
At stake for the top three winners in each category are a MacBook Pro for first place, a Galaxy Tab for second place and an iPhone 17 Air for third place.
Beyond the prizes, winners and finalists will receive mentorship and technical support to refine their games for possible commercial release.
Judges, Contestants Applaud Initiative
One of the judges, Ms. Venus Tawia, Director of Women’s Esports at the Esports Association of Ghana and leader of Queens Africa, commended MTN for investing in local game development.
She said the contest provides an entry point for young developers to produce games that can be tested, improved and monetized, while also showcasing Ghanaian languages and everyday life experiences to a global audience.
“Gaming combines coding, music, design and storytelling. We need to invest in local content if Ghana is to benefit from the digital economy,” she stressed.
Some contestants including Mr. Clement Asare, an IT student at GIMPA, and Mr. Mantey Calib, developer of Akofena, expressed gratitude to MTN Ghana for creating a platform for local talent to showcase their creativity.
The contest, which opened on August 24 and closed on October 19, 2026, is expected to contribute to Ghana’s digital innovation agenda and open up sustainable income opportunities for Ghanaian youth in the gaming industry.
