Telkom SA is making a foray into eSports with the launch of the new Telkom Digital Gaming League (DGL) which was previously known as the Do Gaming League.

The company has announced that the new league will include a Masters programme for elite Multi Gaming Organisations (MGOs) with prize money totalling R1 million in cash.

"Telkom has been involved with the Do Gaming League as a sponsor since its inception in 2008, and has supported gaming in South Africa for over 10 years. With the new league, Telkom will enable the entire gaming experience through a three tier offering, providing high speed connectivity and local servers for gamers to play on. The new DGL league software will be provided to enable more participants across all three tiers," the company said following a launch of the new league in Johannesburg.

The first of the three tiers will comprise of casual gaming competitions, including schools and corporate casual leagues, with the open division open to all.

The second tier will be the DGL league with the best gamers in the country which people can qualify for through the open division, with promotion and relegation through different divisions from April to October.

The third and final tier will be the DGL Masters programme, where South Africa's top eight MGOs are invited to compete online from April to October and in two regional LAN competitions. The final is planned for October 2016.

Enzo Scarcella, Telkom's chief marketing officer elaborated on the value of the new league. "The Masters programme will become the pinnacle of eSports in South Africa where eight MGOs will compete for R1 million in cash, the largest prize pool in South African eSports history. At the same time, the DGL will develop the local eSports to bring in new gamers through casual gaming competitions, improved spectator access and increased awareness,"

Johann Von Backström from the DGL Management Company anticipates growth for the industry in the coming years. "Gaming has seen phenomenal growth over the past few years as players become ever more engaged. We already have more than four million gamers in South Africa. By professionalising the sport and developing new players, we can look forward to seeing more local talent compete on the same footing as international teams,"

The DGL is the largest online league in South Africa with the largest player base and over 80 percent market share for eSports, having hosted over 35 000 online matches since its inception in 2008 according to Telkom. The company adds that around 6 000 gamers take part in the DGL in a local gaming industry estimated at over R2 billion, making it a larger sector than both movies and music.