In the heart of Kumasi, Ghana, young Eryam Tawia grew up immersed in comics and video games. He spent his days sketching characters from his favorite comic books, a ritual he enjoyed. The more he played the more he learnt about Western games and the more he felt like something was missing. Who were these characters, he often wondered? Why did they feel so distant? Eryam searched for games that spoke to his reality as a young Ghanaian but found none. It was then that he decided that if he could not find a game that felt like home, he would embark on a journey to create one, no matter how long it took.
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After completing his high school education, Eryam was admitted to Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology where he studied Computer Science. During this period, he taught himself how to develop games and eventually did a research thesis on gaming which was among the first at the university. This series of events consequently led to him developing his first-ever game in 2006, an achievement that marked the beginning of his journey of bringing comics to life through computer games.
It was in 2007 that Eryam met Wesley Kirinya, a Kenyan software developer who had then also released his video game, ‘The Adventures of Nyangi’, which earned its place in history as the first video game built and released in Sub–Saharan Africa. The two industrious young men recognized almost immediately their mutual admiration for each other and their similarities in vision concerning what gaming could look like in Africa. They decided to join forces and together founded ‘Leti Arts’.
Leti Arts opened its doors as an interactive media company in 2009 with its Headquarters in Ghana. The mission was to bring an authentic Africa to the global audience through interactive content such as games, digital comics and animations. It was about celebrating the uniqueness of the continent in history, folklore and diverse cultures, proving that indeed content based and created in Africa, has an essential place on the global stage.
For Eryam, this was more than just ticking a box. It was his ultimate dream - to create games that resonated with the common African.
“All the games and comics we’ve produced have African heritage or symbols. An example is the game Sweave. When you play this game, you can appreciate how beautiful the patterns are. We have also placed the meanings of these symbols for a better understanding by our audiences. We want to produce games that everyone will enjoy while selling the authentic African story,” says Prince Twumasi, the Operations Manager at Leti Arts.
The company has produced several games since its inception including Africa’s Legends, Sweave, Puzzle Scout and most recently Karmzah, pioneering a wave of African-inspired gaming.
“When you look at the kind of games we have produced in the past and the kind of narratives we have changed over the past 15 years you can tell that the impact has been huge. We have had countless organizations reach out to us to produce games for them. We have been able to change the narrative that games can also be used in STEAM and STEM education, for example with our Puzzle Scout game. We’ve produced games that teach how to farm and prevent food poverty with WFP. We have also created a game about financial feasibility for Orange Organization,” he describes.
Most of the revenue by Leti Arts has been generated from in-game purchases, ads and premium pricing attached to games such as Puzzle Scout. Beyond revenue collection directly from games, Leti Arts also boosts earnings by providing consulting services, ensuring sustainability of the business.
“Sometimes organizations reach out to us not just because they want games but because they need expertise to gamify their services. For consulting we’ve done a lot of games for clients like MTN, Vodafone and plenty of partners over the years,” Prince explains.
This additional revenue stream exemplifies the entrepreneurial spirit that drives Leti Arts, showcasing the company's commitment to innovation and resilience in the gaming industry.
Though rapidly growing, the gaming industry in Africa is relatively young compared to other parts of the world and lags in talent development. There’s still a huge gap in expertise from within the continent mainly due to challenges in infrastructure and funding.
“There is not enough research and development investment in gaming in Africa. We produce games but we do not make enough from it. Talent is also very expensive to acquire especially if they are from outside the continent,” notes Prince.
“Our education is lacking when it comes to tech advancement. Computer science programs in universities for example here in Ghana don’t have specialized minor courses that would teach game design, game development and other such skills in depth. We should get to a point where these programs are taught in our traditional set-ups,” he emphasizes.
Leti Arts is investing in talent development through internship training to bridge this gap. “We believe that young Africans are talented enough and passionate about gaming. They want to know more and are willing to learn and understand,” Prince remarks.
The company has offered internship opportunities to hundreds of young people annually since 2009. Some of the beneficiaries have gone ahead to launch their own ventures. An example is Caleb Mande who won the 2022 Presidential Pitch in Ghana for his VR studio, Ren Interactive. Others have secured roles in leading gaming companies including Leti Arts itself, a testament to the impact that the company has in nurturing talent and cultivating innovation within Africa’s gaming industry.
Beyond talent development, Leti Arts is paving the way for women in the gaming industry. Ashley Wanjiku is a Kenyan game designer currently working as the Lead Game Designer at Leti Arts. While at the university, she studied for a Bachelor of Technology in Design where she learnt every form of design including graphics, product design and animations. From her first year on campus, she knew what she wanted to do.
“I decided to specialize in Interactive Media Design which houses animation, web design and gaming. I selected game design,” Ashley reflects “While I was in my third year I got an internship in a company based in Germany and was there for about one and a half years. This experience taught me a lot in terms of game development and I was convinced that I would become a game developer until I joined Leti.”
Ashley joined Leti Arts as an intern in 2022 after which she was onboarded as a full-time employee in the company, her first project being the game ‘Karmzah’ in which she became the project lead.
“Starting as a project lead was frightening because I love learning from people ahead of me and not the other way around. However, the lead game designer at the time was really helpful and he taught me how to make good games from concept to release,” she says “My most interesting project was Khamzar because of how big it is in terms of the vision.”
Ashley has grown to understand that what makes any game unique is the story behind it. She has also learnt that she can translate games into different languages and dialects to make them more accessible as with ‘Puzzle Scout’ which they translated from English to French.
“The growth has been tremendous. Unfortunately, I have always found myself in studios that are heavily dominated by men and I end up being among the few women who make it. For instance, where I worked previously, I was the only female. Now at least I have two other female colleagues.”
Abigail started her journey in the gaming industry as a UI/UX designer. She took a Google UX design course on Coursera and after completing it, her sister advised her to get an internship first to gain more experience in the field. Abigail sent a couple of applications and Leti Arts responded giving her the first shot into the gaming industry.
“At first I was a bit scared because I thought the studio would be filled by so many males but it was quite the opposite. I was surprised because everyone was welcoming and I did not end up being the only female in the room.”
After 6 months of internship, the company retained her as a UI/UX designer. In addition, she became an administrative assistant and now manages the Leti Arts Internship Program.
“Having the creative freedom to explore your skills and do your research is something I enjoy about working here at Leti Arts. I have also improved my prototyping skills and everything related to my work by learning through my colleagues.”
For Ashley and Abigail, Leti Arts provided a soft landing into the male-dominated gaming industry.
“I want to contribute to the growth of the gaming industry by creating experiences that are enjoyable to the user. I also want to ensure that our internship program gets a broader rich with diverse talents across Africa,” Abigail shares.
“I want to grow my skills, mentor people into the gaming industry and see Leti Arts produce a lot of triple-A games,” Ashley with pride.
The future of Leti Arts and the gaming industry in Africa is full of promise. As access to the internet and mobile phone technologies continues to increase, the market size for African games is also growing. Africa is poised to produce groundbreaking games rooted in African heritage and gaming pioneers like Leti Arts are at the forefront of this movement.
“We have seen parents telling children to go into the IT sector because they have seen that the world is becoming technologically driven. The new generation understands what the gaming industry is like today,” Prince points out “We have also seen the rise of community around games for example Esports Association which is running tournaments to sensitize young people that gaming can be a professional career path. These strategic steps help to shape the public understanding so that they can acknowledge gaming as a viable venture with great potential across industries.”
In recent years the number of gaming studios across Africa has also increased significantly. This rise has led to the establishment of more gaming associations such as the Pan African Gaming Group of which Leti Arts is a founding member studio. The aim of this association is to increase the number of games and developers in the continent that can compete globally and set Africa on the map.
Leti Arts continues to blaze the trail in the development of Africa’s gaming ecosystem through its interactive and culturally inspired games as well as providing opportunities for young talent through training.
“Our vision remains very big. We look forward to collaborating with studios such as Sony and to reach as many people as possible. Plans are underway to take some of our games into consoles or pc because most of them are currently in mobile and VR,” Prince says “The number of people that have passed through Leti Arts since 2009 is huge. The vision is to now go into our STEAM academy because we believe that everyone can be an engineer or a game developer. We believe that gaming is for everyone and the academy will provide training for anyone with a passion for gaming even if they are not technically equipped.”
Leti Arts is crafting a new chapter for African gamer by fostering a learning environment for young African talents to thrive. The company has also curved a niche for authentic African storytelling through games which not only entertain but also generate revenue. More than that, Leti Arts has set out to provide a space for women and girls to showcase their skills and take up space in the gaming industry. As the gaming industry in Africa thrives, Leti Arts is confidently leading the way as a pioneer in the interactive media landscape.
