#TechFriday: Gaming news site grows up with the game

David Monnakgotla is bringing the gaming world to life through his internet platform, The Idiot’s Guide to Gaming. Picture: Supplied

David Monnakgotla is bringing the gaming world to life through his internet platform, The Idiot’s Guide to Gaming. Picture: Supplied

Published Jun 22, 2018

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David “Super Dave” Monnakgotla, 29, fell in love with gaming from early on.

“I had a friend who had the first Playstation and we would go to his house after school to play.

"He introduced me to gaming as a child and that just stuck with me throughout the years,” he says.

About five years ago, when blogging was the in-thing, Monnakgotla set one up that would focus on gaming.

“No one was really talking about it or tech stuff, so I wanted to see how far I could go with it.”

The Idiot’s Guide to Gaming started as a blog, but is now a gaming platform with its own YouTube channel, where Monnakgotla posts weekly news, game reviews and interviews.

“It’s a portal for gamers and newbies to interact with the gaming world, a platform that lives on the internet for those interested in gaming.”

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He said gaming was a big part of people’s lives in South Africa.

“It’s like going to a club or a News Cafe on a Friday night, except you aren’t leaving your home to do it. I feel like gaming is the next boom in South Africa, the same way club DJing was in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

"We’re living in an age where kids in matric want to be gamers, starting up their own esports teams, and we are seeing all the money that is being pumped into gaming.

"Who would have imagined that two years ago a kid in high school could walk away with half a million in cold, hard cash for winning a gaming Fifa tournament? That is crazy,” he said.

Monnakgotla said companies were now jumping on to the bandwagon and many new gamers, YouTubers and websites were popping up every week.

In black communities, the gaming phenomenon has grown.

“I grew up in an era where we would go to someone’s house with a console to play.

"There is still a lot of that, but now there is more internet access and information in homes so, more and more, black people know about it. It’s huge.

"It might not be playing the titles online because of internet constraints, but we are aware of gaming as a career path.

"But a lot of people just don’t have the know-how on how to start up esports teams, or channels and blogs. A phone is more than enough.”

Monnakgotla said his wish for The Idiot’s Guide to Gaming was for it to become a content hub for creatives.

“The more it grows, the more I grow. I believe that it will be one of the biggest gaming content hubs on the continent and I want to use it as a door for those looking into getting into gaming.

"It's also for those who want information on gaming. There’s a young child who envisions his own gaming application and takes it beyond what I can imagine."

*Catch up on the world of gaming with Monnakgotla every Wednesday at 6.50am on YFM.

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