Esports competitions are held in public tournaments that unite online communities, providing players and spectators with an opportunity to experience esports outside of the screen.
Although gaming communities exist on a large scale, most of their life takes place online—on servers, forums, and social platforms not tied to a specific location. Public tournaments provide these communities with a physical foundation.
Competitive games are familiar to millions of South Africans, yet many have never seen them up close. They may know players, see clips, or hear the noise of major tournaments, but the structure, skill, and atmosphere of organized play can still seem distant from everyday public life.
A tournament held in a shopping mall or public space possesses a different energy. One does not need to be part of the gaming community to engage with it. People can stop by briefly, watch a match, ask questions, follow the tension in a final, or see how players handle pressure in front of a crowd.
For some, this is their first real contact with competitive gaming. For others, it is the first time they perceive the game as something more than just home entertainment. Public tournaments give games context, demonstrating the concentration required for competition, the discipline of quick decision-making, and the composure of players when a match goes awry. They also showcase the sportsmanship between rivals, especially at local events where players often meet in person after only communicating through online platforms. This visibility changes the public discourse.
Gaming is often discussed from the outside, attempting to determine whether it is beneficial or distracting, social or isolating. A public competition gives people a clearer point of reference, allowing them to see the activity itself—with all its speed, tension, frustration, excitement, and skill.
Not everyone who wants to participate in competitions owns a console, gaming PC, or suitable controller. Tournaments that provide their own equipment eliminate this inequality, even if it is only for a weekend. Someone who could not afford a full gaming setup gets the chance to play on the same gear as all other participants.
Public gaming events create new spaces for interaction where players, families, and spectators can connect through competitive esports. Accessibility is part of this story, as not everyone has the necessary equipment, stable internet connection, private practice space, or the confidence to participate in an official tournament. A public event allows people to gradually enter the process. Casual players can observe first, young gamers can understand the format, and parents can better grasp the interest and skills behind their children's hobby. Those who never considered participating can realize that this space is open to them too.
Shopping malls are particularly suited for such events because they are familiar, accessible, and already serve as gathering places for communities. People visit them for errands, food, shopping, and leisure. Hosting an esports tournament in such an environment does not require the public to visit an unfamiliar place; it transfers the action into an already used space, creating a useful bridge between online and local communities.
Many gamers build strong connections online, but these communities are not always visible in the neighborhoods where people live, study, or spend their weekends. A public tournament gives this community a physical presence. Players meet face-to-face, spectators become part of the atmosphere, families gather around the competition, and local talents become visible to people who might never have sought them out.
The best public tournaments do not look like private events placed in a shopping mall; they feel like something the mall has yielded space to. The competition becomes part of the center's rhythm. People come in, stay longer than planned, and return to check results or bring someone else to watch. For a few hours, the space gains a focal point belonging to everyone, not just those holding a controller.
For host venues, this brings value beyond just increased traffic. Public spaces need to remain connected to the interests, habits, and culture of the people who use them. Esports is already part of this culture, especially among young South Africans. Providing it with a visible platform acknowledges that it deserves a place alongside other forms of entertainment, sport, and civic activity.
An example of how this format can work naturally when placing competitive games in an accessible public setting was demonstrated by the MTN SHIFT Gaming Experience, held in Hyprop shopping centers. Although the tournament is built around competition, much of its impact happens around the screens: spectators coming to watch for the first time, families involved in the action, players meeting each other, and local communities perceiving gaming as something open, social, and shared.
Games do not need to transform into something else to be taken seriously. People simply need more opportunities to see it properly. Public tournaments give competitive games a stage, but they also pave the way for the general public, whether it is a match, a question, a child's enthusiasm, a local final, or simply the surprise of discovering the skill hidden behind the screen.
The recent FIFA World Cup drew significant criticism due to the large number of teams, as it was the first time the tournament was expanded to 48 participants, including a record 10 African nations. The tournament increased from the previous format of 32 teams, where 48 countries were divided into 12 groups of four in the group stage.
In the first phase, the two best teams from each group, along with the eight best third-placed teams, advanced to the inaugural round of 32-team playoffs. Many experts, particularly from European countries, expressed concerns that such a 'bloated structure' would diminish the quality of the competition.
In contrast, the International Cricket Council (ICC) is developing a complex format for the One Day International World Cup (ODI World Cup) to be held in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. This format, according to the author, continues to limit the development of Associate Nations.
Although the number of teams has been increased from 10 to 12 compared to the previous edition in India in 2023, the structure places Associate Nations in a highly disadvantageous position. According to an ICC press release, a 'Super Series' will be held before the World Cup, featuring teams ranked 12th, 13th, and 14th.
Only the top team from this series will advance to two groups of six teams, where 30 matches are scheduled. Then, the top three teams from each group will move to the 'Super 7' round, where they will play a round-robin system. The seventh team in the 'Super 7' will be the best fourth-placed team from the two groups. The top four teams after the completion of the 'Super 7' qualify for the semi-finals.
The author notes that the 2023 format, similar to the 1992 format, was significantly simpler: each of the 10 teams played each other once to reach the semi-finals. There is a possibility that India and Pakistan, who are ICC's 'money spinners', could meet up to three times: in the group stage, in the 'Super 7', and potentially in the final.
While the ICC actively promotes the T20 World Cup as a 'platform for the growth of a wider universe of participating cricket nations' by increasing the number of teams in the second stage from eight to ten, this ambition is not evident regarding the ODI World Cup, which remains the ICC's main men's tournament. The main problem for cricket hindering its relevance in a world where fans have many choices is the complexity of its formats and tournament structures.
Despite the shortcomings of FIFA, and the World Cup in Mexico, USA, and Canada attracted attention to them, they are recognized as masters of simplicity in execution. The author believes that the ICC could learn some lessons from FIFA's experience.
The Banyana Banyana team is actively preparing for its return to the Wafcon tournament with the goal of winning the continental trophy, which they won in Morocco in 2022.
Before the start of Wafcon 2026 in Morocco, the team has a clear objective: to secure a spot in the top four of the competition to qualify for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2027, which will be held in Brazil. However, coach Disari Ellis admits that achieving this goal will not be easy.
Banyana Banyana will return to Morocco at the end of this month, striving to make up for lost time. In the previous tournament, the team showed a disappointing result, losing the title to their fierce rivals from Nigeria and finishing fourth overall. This result cast doubt on Ellis's future, especially after forward Jermaine Seoposenwe publicly criticized the coach for failing to protect the squad from administrative shortcomings by SAFA, particularly concerning player bonuses before major events.
Nevertheless, Ellis managed to overcome this turbulence and extend her contract. Given the lengthy negotiations regarding the new agreement, she enters the tournament with a strict mandate: to return to the Wafcon podium and secure her place in the next global event. During a press day at the AW Muller Stadium on Wednesday afternoon, Ellis emphasized that all team players are unanimously focused before departure.
Ellis stated: 'We had a meeting with the group and senior players, as we always do. They know what is at stake.' She added that she spoke with many players, and they all say the same thing: 'qualifying for the World Cup is the ultimate goal.' She also noted that past experience helps, and for other players, it will be their first time, so they need to ensure everyone is on the same page.
Ellis has formed a preliminary squad of 31 players, combining youth and experienced athletes, which will be reduced to 26 people before leaving for Morocco on Saturday. The coach expects every player to meet expectations. In 16 days, 16 countries will fight for African glory.
Speaking about the pressure, Ellis added: 'It is always hard to tell someone what to expect when you cannot predict how they will react to pressure. But we always preach the idea of how important it is to rise to a new level. Ultimately, 11 people take the field, but the entire squad must be ready to contribute.'
This trip marks Banyana's third participation in Wafcon in Morocco, following a victorious debut in 2022 and a poor performance last year. Thanks to this familiarity, Ellis hopes her team will easily adapt to the local conditions. She clarified that although they are not staying in the same locations as before (first time - Oudjda, second - Rabat, and now the base is in Casablanca), Morocco remains Morocco, just as South Africa is South Africa. The team is accustomed to the environment, knows it will be hot and conditions will be tough, but they are planning for it, so the departure is scheduled for Saturday to give them enough time to acclimatize.
Banyana desperately seeks to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup, building on their debut in 2019 and successful playoff run in 2023. However, before looking towards Brazil, they must pass the Wafcon group stage and win the decisive quarter-final match. Ellis studied their group opponents: Tanzania, Burkina Faso, and Côte d'Ivoire.
The coach analyzed the opponents, noting that Tanzania will likely want to play football, while Burkina Faso and Côte d'Ivoire are very physical teams. She added that they have played against physical teams a lot over the past year, both at Wafcon and during qualifiers. The team knows that opponents will try to use long balls, and they are training intensively to counter this. Ellis concluded that despite all the preparation, football comes down to execution on match day. She reminded them that they always said that if they kept a 'clean sheet' (did not concede a goal), they would create chances, and now they need to be clinical in front of goal when those opportunities arise.
