Meet Online Gamer Naledi Matutoane

South African twitch streamer and content creator, Naledi Matutoane also known as “Androva” says she started streaming with the purpose of becoming a diverse addition to the gaming and streaming scenes in South Africa and to create visibility for other minorities in those scenes.

Matutoane started gaming in her matric year, when Ubisoft released Assassin’s Creed 3 for free on the computer gaming client; she then got more involved in multiplayer gaming during her first year in Varsity where her entire friend group were gamers who played League of Legends.

Speaking with Rudene Hare, Matutoane shares more insight about gaming and how she started.

Thank you for chatting to us here at gsport. Please introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Naledi and online I go by my gamer tag “Androva”. I am a variety twitch streamer and content creator from South Africa. I started streaming with the purpose of becoming a diverse addition to the gaming and streaming scenes here in South Africa and to create visibility for other minorities in these scenes. My content resolves around streaming how-tos and amusing content that other gamers and streamers would relate to.

How did you get into gaming?

I started gaming in my matric year; Ubisoft released Assassin’s Creed 3 for free on their PC gaming client and I generated an interest in the game when I saw my cousin playing it previously on PlayStation. I then got more involved in multiplayer gaming during my first varsity years where my entire friend group were gamers who played mostly League of Legends.

What intrigues you about esports?

I have become very obsessed more specifically with the League of Legends esports scene; mostly because it was the first team-based game I played. I am very intrigued with how esports is slowly becoming less niche and how regular lifestyle brands such as sporting brands (Adidas, Mercedes etc.) and even luxury brands (Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton) are investing in the scenes and making esports something visible and accessible to no gamers.

What is the state of women representation in gaming in South Africa and how can it be improved?

I think most people are surprised to see how many femme gamers there are within South African gaming scenes. We have some top tier esports teams competing in titles such as Counter Strike and Valorant and recently an all-female league called Athena has started and is dedicated to showcasing local femme League of Legends talent.

I think we have a long way to go before we see more femmes within gaming. Sexism, one of the most rife issues within gaming around the world, is very present in South African gaming as well and to be able to correct those behaviours would be a huge step in the right direction. Creating visibility by showcasing femme gamers within our gaming scene would also prove powerful; we all know the power of representation.

Which women gamers do you look up to and why?
There are so many but to name a few:

Froskurinn (also known as Frosk) is an esports commentator, caster and content creator who does a lot within esports to fight for representation and equality.

TechGirl is a South African esports commentator; caster and content creator who has been making strides and helping pave the way for other women in esport’s, especially at an international level.

Lastly, Nicole LaPointe Jameson.

Photo 1 Caption: South African Twitch Streamer and Content Creator Naledi Matutoane also known as “Androva”. Photo: Instagram (androvaza)