Amid the fast-changing dynamics of mobile entertainment, there are only a handful of companies that embody the perfect combination of local culture, innovation, and economic empowerment better than Rise & Hustle.
The company was started by experienced professionals Anthony Broadhurst and Josh Jones. The company is innovatively transforming mobile gaming into something more than just entertainment.
For the millions of Africans using the application, the mobile game is becoming the doorway to practical benefits, community engagement, as well as economic empowerment.
At PlayZuZu, we’re interested in the potential of how entertainment in digital forms can be localised and create big impacts.
Rise & Hustle embodies that maxim in action the most.
A Different Kind of Free-to-Play
The global free-to-play model is well known: players enjoy games at no upfront cost, but are pushed toward microtransactions and in-game purchases to advance. Too often, that model creates frustration, barriers, and a sense that “winning” is paywalled.
Rise & Hustle set out to challenge this by asking: What if progress in games also meant progress in real life?
Instead of leaning on aggressive monetisation, the platform rewards users with mobile airtime, a currency that holds everyday value in African markets. Airtime isn’t just for topping up phones, it’s used for buying groceries, paying electricity bills, and even managing personal finances. By integrating airtime rewards, Rise & Hustle ensures that time spent in-game creates real-world benefits.
As Broadhurst explains:
“The heart of our offering is the gamified ability for players to come in and not just spend a lot of time, but to enjoy the progress of different missions and types of games.”
Grassroots Growth: Hustle Meets Community
Rise & Hustle isn’t only about clever mechanics. It’s rooted in an entrepreneurial street culture, the Nigerian spirit of hustling, competing, and building something out of nothing. This ethos inspired the company’s Squads feature, where players can form teams, invite friends, and collectively progress through challenges.
It’s a model that resonates with African audiences who are already deeply social in their entertainment, whether through community football matches, music festivals, or local gaming tournaments.
The company has also leaned heavily into on-the-ground marketing, sponsoring football events, setting up branded pop-ups, and engaging directly with players in markets where face-to-face trust matters.
Josh Jones describes it this way:
“We wanted to develop a game which appeals to Africans and what they want predominantly is free airtime. Mobile airtime is the de facto currency for many African countries. They top up regularly and use their mobile airtime to buy groceries and pay for electricity.”
Technology Meets Culture
From the start, the founders were determined that Rise & Hustle would own its intellectual property (IP) and build technology in-house. Everything from in-game tokens, to smart contracts, to customer engagement systems has been developed internally. That decision not only provides more control, but also allows the company to tailor its offerings to different markets quickly and effectively.
Crucially, Rise & Hustle understands that localization is not optional. Payment methods, cultural references, terminology, and user journeys all vary across countries and the team is actively customising their platform for new regions.
Expanding Across Africa
Nigeria provided the ideal testbed for Rise & Hustle’s model. The country’s vast population, deep mobile penetration, and vibrant youth culture created the perfect conditions for launch. But the vision extends far beyond.
By the end of the year, the company plans to expand into Kenya and Ghana, with additional rollouts in Cameroon, South Africa, and other markets to follow. Each expansion comes with its own challenges, understanding local payment systems, ensuring brand resonance, and aligning with user behavior, but the long-term ambition is clear.
Jones puts it simply:
“My vision is initially a Pan-African financial empowerment model. We want to expand into as many countries in Africa as possible. We believe this is a way to empower people financially and allow them to enjoy the content at the same time.”
Beyond Gaming: A Financial Empowerment Ecosystem
What makes Rise & Hustle especially exciting is that it’s not just a gaming company. It’s building an ecosystem where airtime, cryptocurrency, and community-based rewards come together. The platform is even branching into sports betting and casino products, but again, with the same philosophy of giving users genuine choice.
Instead of forcing players into deposits or purchases, Rise & Hustle provides flexible pathways:
- Play for free and earn airtime.
- Watch ads or engage with partners.
- Convert rewards into crypto tokens.
- Choose whether or not to spend on premium products.
This layered approach builds trust and long-term engagement which are two factors often overlooked in traditional iGaming models.
Why This Matters
Africa’s digital economy is one of the fastest growing in the world, and companies like Rise & Hustle are proving that innovation here looks different than in the West. Success requires cultural sensitivity, grassroots strategies, and products that solve real-world problems.
By blending fun with financial utility, Rise & Hustle is showing how gaming can empower people, not just entertain them. It’s a model that could inspire future ventures across emerging markets and serves as a reminder that the future of digital entertainment is global, diverse, and locally grounded.
Final Thoughts
At PlayZuZu, we see Rise & Hustle as more than just a gaming story. It’s a case study in how to design for impact and how to merge culture, technology, and business in a way that improves people’s daily lives.
As the company expands across Africa, it will be fascinating to watch how its model evolves and whether airtime, crypto, and grassroots community engagement become the blueprint for a new kind of digital ecosystem.
You can read more about this and more in the September edition of G3 magazine by clicking here.
