The event pulled together the region’s top PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds PUBG warriors for the first-ever East African finals – a showdown that had Nairobi buzzing.
By Editorial Team.
Nairobi, 16th Sept 2025… Safaricom, through its youth-focused platform Safaricom Hook (S-Hook), was the official tech partner for the first-ever PUBG Mobile Africa Cup (PMAC) East African finals, a showdown that went down this weekend at Charter Hall, Nairobi.
The PMAC, Africa’s hottest new esports tournament, pulled in the best PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) Mobile squads from across the continent to battle it out for bragging rights, glory, and sshistory in one of the world’s biggest battle royale games.
As the official tech plug, Safaricom Hook brought the heat with high-speed, reliable, and low latency 5G connectivity ensuring seamless gameplay, crystal-clear livestreams, and instant content sharing for both players and fans.
“Gaming is no longer just a pastime, it is culture, creativity, and community. Through S-Hook, we want African gamers not just playing but rewriting the global script. At Safaricom, we see gaming as a serious driver of talent, innovation, and youth energy. That’s why we powered PMAC with our 5G tech because in esports, every second counts,” said Fawzia Ali, Chief Consumer Business Officer at Safaricom PLC.
But it wasn’t just about the matches. Hook pulled up with fan zones, interactive gaming pods, meet-and-greets with professional players, and exclusive Hook-only content turning Charter Hall into a gamer’s playground.
This partnership dropped hot on the heels of the first-ever Safaricom Gaming Conference earlier this month, themed ‘Level Up Africa: Unlocking Gaming Potential in Africa.’ The conference examined how gaming influences eSports growth and game dev to how tech, policy, and investment can level up Africa’s gaming future.
Safaricom has been in the game for a minute, backing eSports and gaming through its youth platforms and sponsorships.
In 2019 the company linked up with Pro Series Gaming (PSG) to host a youth-focused tourney (18–26yrs), giving gamers mentorship + career paths.
In 2021, Safaricom dropped the MobiPlay Challenge via Games Lounge. The eight-week MobiPlay Challenge saw customers play simple puzzles, arcade, and action games with daily and weekly prizes, along with a grand prize.
Last year, Safaricom ran the 90-day online ‘Wai Ndai’ challenge where customers competed for daily cash vouchers totalling KES 500,000. For the grand prize, three lucky winners each received a Suzuki Alto.
More recently, Safaricom sponsored the 2025 Otamatsuri Gaming Convention at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), where it powered the entire experience through its 5G network.
With the PUBG Mobile Africa Cup Finals, Safaricom Hook cemented its role as the squad behind Africa’s gaming rise, pushing esports not just as a hobby, but as a lifestyle and career move for young people across the continent.
The PMAC Finals brought non-stop energy, clutch plays, cosplay, music, pop culture mashups, and pure community vibes.
Safaricom Hook made the call for every gamer and fan to either pull up at Charter Hall or catch the action online as Africa crowned its first-ever PUBG Mobile Africa Cup champion.
