Do the names Kyle ‘Bugha’ Giersdorf or Jaden ‘Wolfiez’ Ashman mean anything to you? Neither has what would typically be classified as a full-time job as they’re both still school-age teenagers – Ashman is 15, while Giersdorf is 16 – and yet they’re both US dollar millionaires, their fortunes earned from their own endeavours. Their names might not be familiar, their achievements, however, are likely more memorable. Last year, Ashman hit the British headlines when he won half of a $2.5 million prize, which he split with his 21-year-old Dutch partner Dave ‘Rojo’ Jong, for coming second in the doubles competition of the Fortnite World Cup. Giersdorf, meanwhile, scooped $3 million for winning the solo competition at the same tournament.

Perhaps even more impressive was the $32 million prize fund of the 2019 Dota 2 TI9 international tournament. The world of e-sports is growing fast and professionalising even faster thanks largely to the sums involved, the mainstreaming of games on mobile devices, and the ability to watch content online. While Giersdorf is American and Ashman British, this isn’t a phenomenon that’s passing South Africa by.