“Our long-term goal is to build Africa’s most culturally relevant and community-driven gaming ecosystem”

What is the core vision behind Rise & Hustle? How does it aim to connect with Africa’s mobile-first generation through its tap-to-earn gaming model?

Rise & Hustle was built on the belief that gaming in Africa shouldn’t just be entertaining — it should also be empowering. Our core vision is to create a culturally relevant, mobile-first platform that rewards ambition, community, and consistency. With tap-to-earn mechanics, players can progress without upfront spend, making gaming more accessible and inclusive. This resonates deeply with Africa’s mobile-native generation, where smartphones are the primary device for work, play, and connection. Our model reflects the entrepreneurial “hustler” mindset of young Africans who hustle daily to create opportunity.

What specific elements of Rise & Hustle’s free-to-play games and lottery products are designed to resonate with the Nigerian market?

We’ve localised both the mechanics and the tone of our products to feel immediately relatable. In our lottery games, users can win airtime and local prizes that have real-world utility. Our free-to-play games mirror themes from everyday Nigerian life — street challenges, hustle culture, and “small wins” that feel achievable. We’ve also gamified social behaviors like sharing, inviting friends, and squad play — tapping into the strong communal culture in Nigeria. Most importantly, we’ve made sure everything runs well on low-data, low-spec devices, recognizing the hardware and connectivity realities of the market.

Can you elaborate on how Rise Tokens function within your platform and their integration with the Binance Smart Chain to reward player loyalty?

Rise Tokens are the backbone of our rewards ecosystem. Players earn them through gameplay, engagement, referrals, and participation in events. These tokens are minted on the Binance Smart Chain, allowing for transparency, low fees, and future interoperability. Players can use them to unlock in-game content, enter prize draws, or swap for other digital rewards. Over time, we aim to expand utility — integrating staking, exclusive experiences, and governance features. By anchoring our loyalty system on-chain, we ensure players have ownership over their progress and share in the upside as the platform grows.

What were the biggest challenges in developing in-house games tailored for the African market?

Building for Africa means building for extremes: low bandwidth, high engagement, unpredictable power supplies, and highly diverse user behaviours. One major challenge was optimising performance for older Android devices — without compromising game feel or visuals. Another was designing game loops that feel rewarding even in short sessions, since users often play on the go. We also had to rethink monetisation and progression to avoid paywalls, focusing instead on habit-forming mechanics and community-driven incentives. And culturally, every detail — from language to visual cues — had to pass the “authenticity test” of the local audience.

What makes Rise & Hustle’s street game series stand out in the mobile gaming industry in Nigeria?

Our Street Game Series is built with cultural DNA. These aren’t generic games with African skins — they’re narratives and challenges born from the streets of Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt. Each game features local slang, music, and animations that make it instantly recognisable and emotionally resonant. We also weave in community leaderboards, hustle challenges, and weekly missions to keep engagement high. It’s not just about gameplay — it’s about identity, representation, and showing that the everyday Nigerian hustle is worthy of celebration and reward.

What long-term goals does Rise & Hustle have for transforming the African gaming industry and fostering community engagement through innovation?

Our long-term goal is to build Africa’s most culturally relevant and community-driven gaming ecosystem. That means going beyond entertainment — we’re creating an on-ramp to digital literacy, financial inclusion, and decentralised ownership. Over the next few years, we have several exciting innovations planned to keep the platform fresh. First up are Creator Tools that enable local game developers to plug directly into our platform. The Rise & Hustle token economy will also evolve into a real-world loyalty and rewards system. Ultimately, we aim to collaborate with local telcos and brands to embed Rise Tokens into everyday spending — turning play into tangible value.