Samatha Wright has become a household name in esports and if 2024 is anything to go by we can expect more ceiling chattering from the broadcaster. She was nominated for gsport Special Recognition Award in 2023 and at the time enjoyed more international attention.
However, she feels that since she walked the red carpet at the 2023 gsport Awards she became more recognised in South Africa and she says this is something that has warmed her heart.
The popular ‘Tech Girl ZA’ has decided to manage herself, rather than to be represented by a third party agency. Photo: BLAST
“I hosted major events, like IEM (Intel Extreme Masters) Cologne in August last year which is also one of the biggest events in the globe. These are globally recognised but in South Africa, people would be like who are you and what are you doing?”
“After being involved in the gsport Awards and not only me but seeing gsport cover esports a lot more on the platform, I felt like it gave me credibility which is weird because obviously in my mind I do all these but I think local recognition goes a long way.”
The Tech Girls ZA, Esports Shoutcaster and Counter-Strike host, Sam Wright
“Many mainstream sports publications and main stream media shy away from it because they don’t understand it. But what I think is beautiful about gsport is that they didn’t shy away from it, everyone there has actively tried to learn more and to cover more of it and I think that just speaks to the power of the platform but also speaks to the passion of the people who work there.”
Wright explained that she thought she reached the summit of her profession prior to the 2023 gsport Awards to she hosted a global event but instead of plateauing, her career only got better. “It’s quite funny because I thought that just before the awards I kind of peaked, and since then this year has been manic.
“I have got to work on some of the biggest Counter-Strike tournaments in the world. I get to end my year hosting the Shangai Major which is probably one of the biggest Counter-Strike tournaments globally every year, it’s kind of like our World Cup if you like, I am going to be going to do that now in November, I am doing the qualifiers and then the Major which is a huge honour. I think since walking that red carpet, what I thought was the peak has just steadily got better which is awesome really.”
The esports commentator told gsport with this move she is hoping to ‘break stereotypes’ and wants to be ‘hands-on with her business affairs’. Photo: gsport / Momentum
The commentator has recently opted to to represent herself as she looks to grow her brand in the esports world and she says it was something she was keen on doing as she hopes to take a hold of her own story and break stereotypes in the industry.
“I have had an agent for the longest time, I was with an agency, and moved to another one, and I think there comes a time in your life when you say to yourself, “I need to believe in myself, I need to believe in the level of work that I offer up!”
“Also, I need to understand how the business side of things work because for the longest time, it was easy for me to have someone else do all these negotiations and talk on my behalf. I do think that sometimes as women it is important for us to control our own story and that is something that I wanted to do.”
“I didn’t want to be dependent on men presenting me anymore. I think I want to do this and I can tell my story a bit better. In very male-dominated fields, so sport, obviously esports there is sort of this idea of what they think women should be.
Sam Wright has become a household name in esports, and if 2024 is anything to go by, we can expect a lot more from her. Photo: ESL
“There is a stereotype and a lot of men will feed that stereotype I wanted to make sure that a stereotype wasn’t the reason I was getting hired or how I was being marketed so I just wanted to take that next and I just wanted to challenge myself. Being hands-on with your business affairs is never a bad thing.”
Now that she is without an agent and managing herself Wright says that there are aspects that are different but she really wants to let her work speak for itself.
“I think the biggest difference is that I worked with specialised esports agencies predominantly based in Europe. I suppose the big fear when you step out on your own is that I am in South Africa. I can’t have coffee meetings or catch-ups with clients because I am on the other side of the world.”
“Before I was reliant on a lot of my overseas work happening because of those connections that you presume your agency has but I do feel that in the last few years, I have worked as hard as I can. I am a big believer in meritocracy, so I just hope that my work speaks louder enough. So I might not be able to do the after-work drinks but I am not in a position to do that, that shouldn’t be what lands me work and I hope that portfolio of work I have will speak for itself.”
In recent years esports the number of women who have joined the esports world has been immense and without our very own South African players making a name for themselves globally. Wright says the fact that there are more women not just playing but also in other roles in esports is wonderful to see as things were not like when she began her career.
“I think what is cool is that there is such an influx of women, not only playing but also behind the scenes working in broadcasting and tournament ops and also in front of the camera in terms of commentating and production. I always used to find it funny because you always had whenever they announced a big tournament you always had one or two women in the broadcast team if any and there were around four or five at the top global level who could all fill positions.”
Wright was nominated for gsport Special Recognition Award in 2023 and at the time enjoyed more international attention. Photo: gsport / Momentum
“You could get to a point where you could probably have a big chunk of your broadcast team being women. From a playing point of view, we are seeing more and more women get active in competitive gaming. I love the growth, I remember back when I started and there was no one and now that is not the case. It’s exciting for me because that is what I was pushing for.”
Having been an integral part of making esports appealing to women and girls, Wright has this advice for those who want to pursue a career in esports.
“Don’t fixate on your gender because I think that it is easy to feel that maybe you are not getting the opportunities because you are a woman. Or maybe (you think) you are the token hire that eats at your brain as well but don’t focus on that.”
“Come in whatever job you want to do, if you want to play or commentate, this is what I am focusing on. So that would always be my tip, don’t feed into the politics. Don’t do any of that, do a good job it’s all you need to do. People will pay attention.”
“Remember to have fun, because it’s supposed to be fun. I meet so many people who are so stressed at competing and training every day and I get it, it is hard work. Remember it is meant to be fun, so enjoy that ride. Don’t let anyone tell you what you can and cannot do. Don’t let outside people influence you and tell you what you can and can’t do. Trust your guy and what you believe is right and just push forward.”
As the year winds down many are dealing with end-of-year fatigue but for Wright, the holidays aren’t something she can think about just yet. She has been traveling to Sweden to comment on recent gaming events and will be heading out before she thinks of putting her feet up.
“I leave on Saturday to go to Bucharest to do the qualifiers for the Shanghai Major for a week, I am then home for a week and then go back for a few weeks to do the Major. It’s a lot of back and forth and I am doing a lot of work in-between that so for me, I am not really managing but I am just focusing on the finish line, I have got a really big event and I excited about it but I am not going to like I am counting down to the 17th of December when I can put my feet up.”
Now that we know how Wright will bring her year to a close, she also shared what could be coming up in 2025. She says she has plans but whether they will come to fruition remains to be seen.
am says: “I am constantly amazed by brands and the industry support that gsport has been able to bring to the table,” and wishes gsport another 20 years! Photo: gsport / Momentum
“I have plans but how those pan out will be completely dependent on whether I get to work the tournaments that I would like to work. Obviously, as a freelancer, it’s a bit scary in December, everything is up in the air next year. I have my eyes on things that I would love to do but it will be dependent on whether I do a good enough job at the end of the year and if I am hired again next year.”
Wright also shared a heartfelt message about gsport’s contribution to women in sport in the country and hope the that there are many more year’s ahead as they build female up in the world of sport.
“My message is a huge thank you for creating a space in South Africa where women can be celebrated and for leading from the front. I am constantly amazed by brands and the industry support that gsport has been able to bring to the table. Without them, we would be so far behind because they have made such a noise and are so vocal about women in sport.
“I would love gsport to go on for another 20 years, because it’s such a worthwhile platform for everyone who has tried to defy the odds and step out of the box that people try to put us in.”
Main Photo Caption: Internationally-rated Counter-Strike Host and Shoutcaster Samantha Wright has made a few bold business decisions that will dramatically change how she conducts herself in the global marketplace for her unique skills. Photo: BLAST
Photo 2 Caption: The popular ‘Tech Girl ZA’ has decided to manage herself, rather than to be represented by a third party agency. Photo: BLAST
Photo 3 Caption: The esports commentator told gsport with this move she is hoping to ‘break stereotypes’ and wants to be ‘hands-on with her business affairs’. Photo: ESL
Photo 4 Caption: Samatha Wright has become a household name in esports, and if 2024 is anything to go by we can expect more ceiling chattering from the broadcaster. Photo: gsport / Momentum
Photo 5 Caption: Wright was nominated for gsport Special Recognition Award in 2023 and at the time enjoyed more international attention. Photo: gsport / Momentum
Photo 6 Caption: Sam says: “I am constantly amazed by brands and the industry support that gsport has been able to bring to the table,” and wishes gsport another 20 years! Photo: gsport / Momentum
Esports Shoutcaster Sam Wright on Leaving Agent to Manage Herself
Samatha Wright has become a household name in esports and if 2024 is anything to go by we can expect more ceiling chattering from the broadcaster. She was nominated for gsport Special Recognition Award in 2023 and at the time enjoyed more international attention.
However, she feels that since she walked the red carpet at the 2023 gsport Awards she became more recognised in South Africa and she says this is something that has warmed her heart.
Photo: BLAST
“I hosted major events, like IEM (Intel Extreme Masters) Cologne in August last year which is also one of the biggest events in the globe. These are globally recognised but in South Africa, people would be like who are you and what are you doing?”
“Many mainstream sports publications and main stream media shy away from it because they don’t understand it. But what I think is beautiful about gsport is that they didn’t shy away from it, everyone there has actively tried to learn more and to cover more of it and I think that just speaks to the power of the platform but also speaks to the passion of the people who work there.”
Wright explained that she thought she reached the summit of her profession prior to the 2023 gsport Awards to she hosted a global event but instead of plateauing, her career only got better. “It’s quite funny because I thought that just before the awards I kind of peaked, and since then this year has been manic.
The commentator has recently opted to to represent herself as she looks to grow her brand in the esports world and she says it was something she was keen on doing as she hopes to take a hold of her own story and break stereotypes in the industry.
“Also, I need to understand how the business side of things work because for the longest time, it was easy for me to have someone else do all these negotiations and talk on my behalf. I do think that sometimes as women it is important for us to control our own story and that is something that I wanted to do.”
“I didn’t want to be dependent on men presenting me anymore. I think I want to do this and I can tell my story a bit better. In very male-dominated fields, so sport, obviously esports there is sort of this idea of what they think women should be.
“There is a stereotype and a lot of men will feed that stereotype I wanted to make sure that a stereotype wasn’t the reason I was getting hired or how I was being marketed so I just wanted to take that next and I just wanted to challenge myself. Being hands-on with your business affairs is never a bad thing.”
Now that she is without an agent and managing herself Wright says that there are aspects that are different but she really wants to let her work speak for itself.
“Before I was reliant on a lot of my overseas work happening because of those connections that you presume your agency has but I do feel that in the last few years, I have worked as hard as I can. I am a big believer in meritocracy, so I just hope that my work speaks louder enough. So I might not be able to do the after-work drinks but I am not in a position to do that, that shouldn’t be what lands me work and I hope that portfolio of work I have will speak for itself.”
In recent years esports the number of women who have joined the esports world has been immense and without our very own South African players making a name for themselves globally. Wright says the fact that there are more women not just playing but also in other roles in esports is wonderful to see as things were not like when she began her career.
“I think what is cool is that there is such an influx of women, not only playing but also behind the scenes working in broadcasting and tournament ops and also in front of the camera in terms of commentating and production. I always used to find it funny because you always had whenever they announced a big tournament you always had one or two women in the broadcast team if any and there were around four or five at the top global level who could all fill positions.”
“You could get to a point where you could probably have a big chunk of your broadcast team being women. From a playing point of view, we are seeing more and more women get active in competitive gaming. I love the growth, I remember back when I started and there was no one and now that is not the case. It’s exciting for me because that is what I was pushing for.”
Having been an integral part of making esports appealing to women and girls, Wright has this advice for those who want to pursue a career in esports.
“Come in whatever job you want to do, if you want to play or commentate, this is what I am focusing on. So that would always be my tip, don’t feed into the politics. Don’t do any of that, do a good job it’s all you need to do. People will pay attention.”
As the year winds down many are dealing with end-of-year fatigue but for Wright, the holidays aren’t something she can think about just yet. She has been traveling to Sweden to comment on recent gaming events and will be heading out before she thinks of putting her feet up.
“I leave on Saturday to go to Bucharest to do the qualifiers for the Shanghai Major for a week, I am then home for a week and then go back for a few weeks to do the Major. It’s a lot of back and forth and I am doing a lot of work in-between that so for me, I am not really managing but I am just focusing on the finish line, I have got a really big event and I excited about it but I am not going to like I am counting down to the 17th of December when I can put my feet up.”
Now that we know how Wright will bring her year to a close, she also shared what could be coming up in 2025. She says she has plans but whether they will come to fruition remains to be seen.
“I have plans but how those pan out will be completely dependent on whether I get to work the tournaments that I would like to work. Obviously, as a freelancer, it’s a bit scary in December, everything is up in the air next year. I have my eyes on things that I would love to do but it will be dependent on whether I do a good enough job at the end of the year and if I am hired again next year.”
Wright also shared a heartfelt message about gsport’s contribution to women in sport in the country and hope the that there are many more year’s ahead as they build female up in the world of sport.
“My message is a huge thank you for creating a space in South Africa where women can be celebrated and for leading from the front. I am constantly amazed by brands and the industry support that gsport has been able to bring to the table. Without them, we would be so far behind because they have made such a noise and are so vocal about women in sport.
“I would love gsport to go on for another 20 years, because it’s such a worthwhile platform for everyone who has tried to defy the odds and step out of the box that people try to put us in.”
Main Photo Caption: Internationally-rated Counter-Strike Host and Shoutcaster Samantha Wright has made a few bold business decisions that will dramatically change how she conducts herself in the global marketplace for her unique skills. Photo: BLAST
Photo 2 Caption: The popular ‘Tech Girl ZA’ has decided to manage herself, rather than to be represented by a third party agency. Photo: BLAST
Photo 3 Caption: The esports commentator told gsport with this move she is hoping to ‘break stereotypes’ and wants to be ‘hands-on with her business affairs’. Photo: ESL
Photo 4 Caption: Samatha Wright has become a household name in esports, and if 2024 is anything to go by we can expect more ceiling chattering from the broadcaster. Photo: gsport / Momentum
Photo 5 Caption: Wright was nominated for gsport Special Recognition Award in 2023 and at the time enjoyed more international attention. Photo: gsport / Momentum
Photo 6 Caption: Sam says: “I am constantly amazed by brands and the industry support that gsport has been able to bring to the table,” and wishes gsport another 20 years! Photo: gsport / Momentum
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