Over the past few years, we have seen eSports grow from a hobby to a professionally recognised sport. Since the start of the global pandemic, there has been a massive increase in eSport participation. Gaming and eSports is one of the fastest-growing sports globally and South Africa is no exception. According to a South African gaming platform, research shows that the number of gamers in sub-Saharan Africa has risen to 186 million people from 77 million in 2015.

With the innovation in eSports and the growth in the competitive scene, there is an opportunity for gamers to turn their hobby into a competitive career but the question is how? Robert Hart who is an eSports specialist at Telkom VS Gaming shares some insights on the first few steps to take when joining the world of eSports.

Choose the right team

To throw your hat into the competitive gaming ring, you will need to ensure you have the right team because between practising and tournaments, you’ll be spending a lot of gaming time together.

If you’d prefer to join a club, there are clubs like Goliath Gaming, ATK, DNMK and Bravado Gaming, which probably ring a bell as you start building up your eSports knowledge. According to a recent interview, Michele “Stickalish” Brondani, Goliath Gaming co-owner and scout says they are actively scouting for new talent to join their teams.

Practice is key

Like any sport, practice is key to excel and eSports is no different. Strength and flexibility may not be as important as physical and mental endurance, which is achieved through practice. It is important to make sure you have a list of skills you want to improve on i.e. reaction time, speed and understanding of the game. Practice is key when playing in a team because through regular practice, you understand how your team members perform and where improvements need to be made.

Get the Right Equipment

Once again, like any sport, the right tools and equipment are key to excelling. Whether it is a set of clubs or even a mountain bike, good equipment does more than just facilitate a game, it is the key to mastering the craft. Understanding how your equipment works together plays an integral part in performing at a high level.

In eSports your four key PC essentials are a mouse, mouse pad, keyboard and headset, which you should also ensure are high quality. Through the right selection, it gives the gamer a fair opportunity to win a game or tournament.

According to Professional CS:GO player, Wiktor “Taz” Wojtas, you need to ensure you have good movement, which is achieved through your keyboard, good aim is achieved with a high-quality mouse and mouse pad, and then, in order to actually move on the map, communicate with your team mates and understand what is going on, you need to have good headsets.

High-speed gaming fibre Selecting a fibre line is dependent on your requirements, for gaming specifically a fibre connection such as Telkom Fibre provides affordable yet reliable connectivity with the fastest speeds available so that everyone can be online to work, live and play - all the time.

Register for tournaments

Competing in tournaments improves yours and your team’s ability to perform in a high-pressure environment while also learning to excel as a team. It also boosts self-confidence and player socialisation.

With five different leagues in Telkom VS Gaming, there is an opportunity democratise eSports in South Africa by breaking down barriers to entry and creating a more inclusive gaming experience. Outside of Masters, Championship and eDiski, VS Gaming offers the High School eSports League (HSEL), which is South Africa’s most significant development project. The league is focused on uplifting and promoting eSports in schools by providing a sporting structure and leagues that enables eSports on a grassroot level, and prepares students for the sport of the future.

VS Gaming is South Africa’s largest independent gaming brand and a leading platform for online gaming in Africa and are looking to create a gaming environment that is accessible to all gaming enthusiasts. Level up your gaming experience, get pumped and register for the Telkom VS Gaming tournaments online.