The final weekend of the 2025 MTN SHIFT Gaming Experience turned Canal Walk Shopping Centre into South Africa’s loudest, most concentrated playground for pixels, pulse and pride. After five months of qualifiers held at eight Hyprop malls around the country, thousands of players and hundreds of live spectators streamed into the arena to watch high-school prodigies, seasoned pros and community pillars battle for cash, high-end hardware and national bragging rights. What unfolded was a showcase of raw talent, disciplined practice, and the kind of thrilling sport that has quietly, then unmistakably, come to define a new generation.
A teenager from Sandton made the headlines in EAFC. Seventeen-year-old Hamza Moosa — a professional for Goliath Gaming and a familiar face in South African competitive football-sim circles — outplayed a stacked bracket to take first place in the EAFC National Final and walk away with R25,000. Moosa, who recently represented South Africa in international qualifiers, balanced a composed tactical game with moments of creative risk-taking that frequently decided close matches.
The finals proved that South Africa’s Beat Saber scene is no niche hobby — it’s a nation-building rhythm engine. Michael Prange, 17, of Pretoria’s Garsfontein High School, claimed the national Beat Saber crown in a high-score frenzy. Prange — ranked second nationally and a two-time Beat Saber World Cup competitor — reinforced his standing as both a top competitor and a mentor who has helped grow South Africa’s VR rhythm community. His prize: a gaming PC valued at roughly R50,000.00
School-level competition showcased depth and pipeline. Fifteen-year-old Ridhaa April from Cape Town’s southern suburbs was crowned the schools EAFC champion — a young player who’s been competing since age 12 and already racks up notable finishes for Goliath Gaming. On the Rocket League school stage, Curro programmes took the top podium with Edgemead High not far behind — evidence that formal school teams and grassroots clubs are supplying the feeder system for the national scene.
In Call of Duty Mobile, returning champs Nixuh — the quartet of Magicz (Raees Ismail), Adnaan (Adnaan Bhamjee), Raz (Rahil Bux) and Enigma (Jameen Essa) — held the title and the title’s fierce intensity, walking away with R30,000 in prize money. Their return to the top underscored the continuity and rivalry that keeps fans coming back season after season.
Organisers and partners framed the event as more than a prize-giving: it was a public, participatory celebration of gaming’s place in community life and youth culture. “The atmosphere at this year’s finals was absolutely electric,” said Vanessa Herbst, Marketing Manager at Canal Walk Shopping Centre, praising the skill on display and the crowds that packed the arena. Christie Stanbridge, Hyprop’s Brand and Campaigns Marketing Manager, noted that the SHIFT experience intentionally brings “high-level competition into public spaces” to let players “compete, connect and grow,” highlighting the tournament’s role in education, mentorship and career pathways.
The MTN SHIFT Gaming Experience has grown into South Africa’s largest mall-based gaming tournament—staged across Rosebank Mall, Clearwater Mall, The Glen, Woodlands, Table Bay Mall, Somerset Mall and Capegate before culminating at Canal Walk. Across the tour, the event offered over R250,000 in prizes, immersive public activations and competitive play in titles ranging from EAFC 25™ and Beat Saber to Rocket League and Call of Duty Mobile — a prize and participation scale that signals the maturing commercial infrastructure behind South African esports.
Beyond the trophies and cash, the weekend served as a snapshot of a shifting career landscape: young South Africans are mastering skills — teamwork, communications, strategy under pressure — that translate far beyond the arena. For clubs like Goliath Gaming and schools fielding Rocket League rosters, the MTN SHIFT Grand Finals are both a milestone and a stage for the next wave of talent. With planning already underway for 2026, the message was clear: this is not a passing fad, it’s a pipeline.
Notable winners
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EAFC National Champion — Hamza Moosa (Sandton) — R25,000.
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Beat Saber National Champion — Michael Prange (Pretoria, Garsfontein High School) — Gaming PC ~R50,000.
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EAFC Schools Champion — Ridhaa April (Cape Town).
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Call of Duty Mobile Champions — Nixuh (Magicz, Adnaan, Raz, Enigma) — R30,000.
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Rocket League (Schools) — Curro (1st), Edgemead High (2nd).
Why this matters
The MTN SHIFT Gaming Experience shows how public, accessible tournaments can accelerate player development, build local esports ecosystems and make gaming a viable pathway for education and careers. It also proves that high-skill competitive gaming can draw mainstream crowds — and commercial partners — into a shared cultural moment. With sponsorships, national-stage pathways and cross-border exposure already in play, South African esports looks set for further professionalisation in 2026 and beyond.
