Cape Town — Street Fighter, the venerated fighting game franchise, is adored and played by a community across the globe. The release of Street Fighter 6, the latest in the series, has attracted a wave of interest comprising new and veteran players alike.
The title's arrival comes amid the build-up to Red Bull Kumite. an invitational showcase that brings together the top fighting game talent from around the world. The 2023 iteration of the event is set to be held in South Africa, and will see the country represented by four-time Red Bull: Hit the Streets Champion and mainstay of the South African Street Fighter scene, Jabhi Mabuza.
Who is Jabhim?
Born and raised in Alexandria, Johannesburg, Mabuza, who goes by the player handle "Jabhim", started this gaming journey in the township's humble but active arcade scene during the 1990s. At the age of 6, Mabuza visited his local arcade with his dad and played Snow Bros. before discovering the Street Fighter 2 cabinet nearby.
"I wanted to try the game when I went to the arcade by myself," Mabuza says, who preferred to spend his time learning the mechanics of the game as opposed to diving straight into the competitive nature of it. "Throughout the years, I started diving into other fighting games," Mabuza said, adding that his exploration of the video game genre led him to other titles like Tekken 2, King of Fighters 97 and the Street Fighter Alpha series.
Fighting to the top
As time went on, Mabuza became a noteworthy player within his local fighting game scene. "I jumped between King of Fighters, Street Fighter and Tekken," Mabuza added. He resolved to compete in as many fighting game titles as possible but decided to specialise in Street Fighter.
"By the time Street Fighter 5 came out, that's when I saw there was an eSports scene for this," Mabuza said. eSports refers to competitive video game competitions and tournaments that take place across multiple video game genres and titles. A multi-billion dollar industry, it has seen it grow a larger presence in South Africa with greater focus on players, events and organisations.
His work resulted in him winning the championship for the annual Red Bull: Hit the Streets tournament in 2019. It wasn't long before his dedication was rewarded in a way he never anticipated. Goliath Gaming, one of the largest eSports organisations in South Africa and reps for several players at local and international level, reached out to Mabuza. Goliath offered to sign him, marking a new chapter in his career. "The rest, as they say, is history."
While Mabuza enjoys a notable eSports career, he ensures that he balances it with his personal and professional life. "I have to work out my time. When I met my wife, she knew what I was into so it wasn't a surprise when she sees me practising. It's all about making time," Mabuza said. A family man through and through, Mabuza said that the limited gaming time he has for practice must be used to maximum effectiveness.
The release of Street Fighter 6, the latest in the 36-year-old fighting game franchise, has, in Mabuza's opinion, brought many players back to the fighting game scene. "A lot of people know Street Fighter but SF5 really pushed them away ... But the reception [of Street Fighter 6] has been fantastic." Mabuza noted the return of veterans who previously departed the community brought a healthy level of competition to the game. "I just hope it grows from there," he said.
Enter the Kumite
South Africa's hosting of Red Bull Kumite is unprecedented and represents an opportunity for the local fighting game scene not been seen before. Mabuza praised the tournament's arrival, particularly given his past experiences. "It gives everyone the opportunity to get a taste of international competition," he said. This stems from Mabuza's experiences representing South Africa at the Capcom Cup, the culmination of the annual, year-long, global Capcom Pro Tour. Participating in the Cup was Mabuza's proudest achievement, being the first African player to do so.
"When I go overseas and come back to teach the [local] guys what I've learned, it's kind of hard because there aren't clear examples in front of them. Now, with Red Bull Kumite here, the guys will know where and how to improve," Mabuza said. Mabuza stands fast in his belief that the tournament will serve as a valuable learning experience for the local scene as top Street Fighter players from across the globe are set to arrive for the competition.
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Despite high-level, international experience being something few in South Africa get to experience, placing that within the context of Street Fighter 6's relatively recent availability may allow South African players to gain a "50/50" level of competition, according to Mabuza. "The experienced player in me wants to say it's a 70/30, but I know I can be surprised. Our guys are really good. It's just that they lack high-level experience, that's all," he said.
Mabuza's advice to fellow players is simple. "Take those beatings," he said, urging that the determination for improving shouldn't be influenced by ego. "Players come into the scene thinking they're going to mop everybody. When I started, I knew I was going to lose to multiple people. I even got so discouraged when I lost to people I thought I shouldn't lose to but after months of practising, beating the person that destroyed me months ago was because I stuck through it."
Red Bull Kumite is set to take place between 1 and 2 July, 2023 in Pretoria.
