A New Era of Competition Gains Momentum Across the African Continent
HONG KONG, March 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — A new era of sport has arrived in Africa. This week, a delegation from the World Phygital Community (WPC) touched down in South Africa to spearhead a major campaign bringing the next big thing in global sports to the continent: phygital sports, a groundbreaking fusion of traditional sports and gaming.
At a high-profile phygital event in Johannesburg, crowds were treated to a high-energy Phygital Football tournament, where teams first battled it out on a football video game before hitting the pitch for a five-a-side showdown — combining scores from both, to crown the winner.
The phygital sports movement is gaining unprecedented momentum across Africa, with WPC members from 23 African countries, strengthening the World Phygital Community. Over the past year, WPC members in Africa have hosted 16 phygital tournaments across Africa, featuring 240 clubs vying for coveted spot at the prestigious Games of the Future (GOTF) 2025 — the pinnacle event of the phygital sporting world, set to take place in the UAE.
Edgar Sandamela, Phygital South Africa, emphasized the transformative impact of phygital sports: “South Africa has always been at the forefront of sports innovation in Africa, and phygital presents an opportunity to engage new audiences, promote digital literacy, and encourage physical activity among young people. With the right support, we can make phygital sports a key part of the national and continental sports landscape.”
Dan Merkley, Chairperson and Managing Director of the WPC, highlighted the movement’s long-term vision: “The combination of gaming and sports opens endless possibilities. By uniting our efforts, WPC members across Africa can drive economic growth, foster talent, and create new opportunities for athletes and gamers alike – not to mention spearheading this opportunity to create a continental bloc of influence for the phygital movement.”
Together, Africa has the potential to not just participate in, but lead, the global phygital revolution.
Notes to Editors:
About the World Phygital Community (WPC):
The World Phygital Community (WPC) is a non-profit, international organization that aims to promote phygital sport worldwide by uniting physical and digital communities globally. It is responsible for providing guardianship of the rules and regulations of phygital sport and hosting the qualifying rankings tournament tor The Games of the Future: https://worldphygital.org/
Video – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2652014/Phygital_Sports_Revolution.mp4
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