JOHANNESBURG – From the Fighting Cup to the EA FC 26™ Mall Final, Johannesburg players set the standard for the season ahead.
Rosebank Mall opened the 2026 MTN SHIFT Gaming Experience, bringing together EA FC 26™, Beat Saber, Fighting Cup, and Keyboard Rebuild Race competitors.
With a total prize pool of R350,000 at stake across the eight-mall series, the opening weekend created an atmosphere of intense competition, with the top finishers earning a spot in the Canal Walk national finals in August.
On the EA FC 26™ pitch, Imraan Williams (24) won the mall final, winning an R2 500 Rosebank Mall gift card and a place in the National Football Finals to be held at Canal Walk on August 30th.
Ramdil Muthiyane (22) came second and won a R1 500 gift card, while Zahir Ahmed Patel (22) came third with a R1 000 gift card.
Now in its fourth year, the MTN SHIFT Gaming Experience has become one of the largest mall-based gaming tournaments in the country.
The 2026 series will span eight venues with a total prize pool of R350,000, with the National Football Final and Beat Saber National Final both scheduled to be held at Canal Walk in August.
For the winner of the EA FC 26™ Mall Finals at Rosebank, the stakes were quickly decided. Direct entry to the national finals will see qualifiers from across the country competing for a share of R50,000.
This context was not lost on the athletes who competed over three days and took home the championship.
And the winner of the first competition is…
EA FC 26™
1st Place: Imraan Williams (24) – R2 500 Rosebank Mall Gift Card – Qualify for National Football Finals
2nd Place: Lamdile Mthiyane (22) – R1 500 Rosebank Mall Gift Card
3rd Place: Zahir Ahmed Patel (22) – R1,000 Rosebank Mall Gift Card
beat saber
Centurion's Orwin de Beer, 19, posted the top score throughout the three-day event and won a R1,000 Rosebank Mall gift card and a place in the Beat Saber National Finals on 20 September.
fighting cup
Friday – Brawlhalla
1st Place: Jaden Devlal (19) – R1,000 Rosebank Mall Gift Card
2nd Place: Amro Ahmed – R500 Rosebank Mall Gift Card
Saturday – Tekken
1st Place: Tebogo Dhlamini (21) – R1 000 Rosebank Mall Gift Card
2nd Place: Sherwin Stein (29) – R500 Rosebank Mall Gift Card
Sunday – Street Fighter 6
1st Place: Hlulani Ndlovu (22) – R1 000 Rosebank Mall Gift Card
2nd Place: Tiyani Nkuna (23) – R500 Rosebank Mall Gift Card
Fastest lap
Friday: Yasheen Govind (27) – R1,000 Rosebank Mall Gift Card
Saturday: Kamogelo Ntseare (22) – R1,000 Rosebank Mall Gift Card
Sunday: Jonathan Ackerman (20) – R1,000 Rosebank Mall Gift Card
keyboard rebuild race
Friday: Lesego Mosikare (24) – R500 Rosebank Mall Gift Card
Sunday: Bongani Nxumalo (26) – R500 Rosebank Mall Gift Card
The MTN SHIFT Gaming Experience will be held at Woodlands, Pretoria from June 12th to 14th. Visit acgl.gg/mtnshift to enter online or sign up in-mall.
Remaining tournament dates and venues:
The Woodlands – Online Qualifier: June 7 | In-Centre Event: June 12-14
The Glen – Online Qualifier: June 21 | In-Centre Event: June 26-28
Table Bay Mall – Online Qualifier: July 5 | In-Centre Event: July 10-12
Clearwater – Online Qualifiers: July 25 | In-Center Events: July 31 – August 2
Cape Gate – Online Qualifier: August 9 | In-Centre Event: August 14-16
Canal Walk – Online Qualifier: August 16 | In-Centre Event: August 26-30
For more information on the MTN SHIFT gaming experience powered by MTN and Hyprop, visit www.rosebankmall.co.za. All tournaments are run by ACGL.
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