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When I declared as a ten-year-old that I wanted to be a writer one day, my father gave me a sympathetic smile and declared that writing is a hobby, not a job. “Let’s rather teach you to tile the bathroom, then you’ll have a skill that pays.”

The old man had a point, but even though I could build an entire house by the time I was eighteen, I still practiced my ‘hobby’, and during my last visit home, I gave him a short story written especially for him. The old guy was impressed, and when I noted that writing turned out to be a skill that pays as well, he just chuckled and asked if I would help him build a new braai.

That old conversation came to mind this week when I asked my own son what he wanted to be one day. His reply was emphatic and very quick – “I’m gonna be a gamer.” I started saying that gaming was a past-time, not a career, but before I finished my sentence I thought of my dad, and so I simply said, “Cool, sounds interesting.”

Now of course my son was eyeballs deep into Fortnite, and puberty is thankfully a few years away, so girls, beer and choosing what you want to do with your life is a discussion for another day. But it got me thinking about present-day ignorance of a future world. Can gaming really be a career? Even in South Africa?

Turns out, it can be, and is.

Professional gaming, which is known as Esports, is a viable choice and extremely popular. It is projected to generate $1.5 billion (R28 billion) in 2023, and despite not everyone being able to compete in Fortnite tournaments, the affiliated markets are booming.

There would be no gaming without people actually making the games. Game developers employ thousands of people, and so do esports tournament companies and esports teams. There are plenty of jobs in gaming and all the industries tied to playing video games.

Learning to code, design or test games has become a highly in-demand and well-paid career option for those who master the skills involved.

Esports started out in basements, and now there are dedicated esports stadiums all around the world with plenty of career opportunities varying from project management to broadcasting production and everything in between.

Even the percentage of gamers aged 55-64 grew by 32% in the last two years, so it’s not a fad (supposedly) like writing. Investment and sponsorship opportunities have also opened the door to intersections between gaming and completely unrelated industries like hardware design.

Even in South Africa, gaming is no longer just for kids. Our partners at RSAWeb are one of the companies that understand this, and their network is perfectly set up for gaming with steadfast connectivity to support thousands of consoles, PC, and mobile games.

There is a great article on their site that looks into some of SA’s biggest gamers, and it’s well worth a read if your own kid drives you nuts with terms like OP, juking, or grinding.

So yes, the little anarchist emoting in our living room can very well become a gamer if he wants, and I have since told him so. But just to keep with the old-school outlook, I insisted that he learn a skill that pays beyond the console.

Coding seems a wise place to start his journey. With our RSAWeb Superhero Speed Fibre connection and his mad skills, who knows?

[source:esports&rsaweb]