Investors are betting on Africa\u2019s rising basketball market as leagues professionalize and franchises attract multi-million dollar bids. The shift could reshape sports economies across the continent.<\/p>\n
From vibrant urban courts to packed arenas, basketball in Africa is turning the sport into a large-scale business that attracts investors and opens up new opportunities for the region.<\/p>\n
In 2021, the NBA launched BAL, the first professional league outside North America. Now the organization is selling teams to private investors through a multi-billion-dollar bidding process, aiming to develop a franchise model on the continent.<\/p>\n
According to NBA Africa, BAL has brought more than $250 million to the African economy since its launch and created nearly 37,000 jobs. Future projections expect growth to $5.4 billion by 2034 and the creation of more than 650,000 new jobs in the next decade.<\/p>\n
To date, BAL, in its sixth season, brings together 12 African teams that qualify each year by winning their domestic leagues, and the championship consists of 42 games played across three cities: Rabat, Pretoria, and Kigali.<\/p>\n
This is a proof-of-concept example showing that Africa is ready for a premium sports and entertainment brand that we can have on the continent. We have proven that there is elite talent on the continent.<\/p>\n
\u2013 Clare Akamanzi<\/p>\n
Key BAL Facts<\/p>\n
12 African teams in BAL season
\n42 games during the competition
\nThree hub cities: Rabat, Pretoria, Kigali<\/p>\n
Investor Perspective and the Future Franchise Model<\/p>\n
Currently, teams are required to qualify each year to participate, but NBA Africa aims to turn them into permanent businesses that will compete in BAL every season.<\/p>\n
In May, the league held its first Investor Day in Kigali, where about 100 potential investors learned more about the right to own and operate a BAL team on a permanent basis.<\/p>\n
Investor City: Kigali
\nNumber of interested: around 100 investors<\/p>\n
Franchise ownership, according to Akamanzi, will allow teams to \u201creally earn money\u201d through merchandising, tickets, media rights, and events \u2013 a more predictable structure that, in her words, \u201ctakes the league\u2019s value to a new level.\u201d<\/p>\n
Franchises will be sold through a competitive process, Akamanzi said, \u201cin the tens of millions of dollars.\u201d<\/p>\n
NBA Africa does not publish financial information, but in 2024 Bloomberg published a piece about BAL\u2019s potential losses in the early seasons; the assessment sparked discussions among league leadership.<\/p>\n
Among those interested in future franchises was two-time WNBA star Chiney Ogwumike, who said: \u201cI\u2019m trying to get there. I need this. Basketball has always been something that can change lives.\u201d<\/p>\n
Being here in Kigali is amazing to see a new revival of sport through basketball, so that young girls like my sisters and I can truly realize their dreams.<\/p>\n
\u2013 Chiney Ogwumike<\/p>\n
Interest in the African market and global investment is highlighted by NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum, who emphasizes the importance of local ownership for BAL\u2019s future.<\/p>\n
The African market is incredibly important. Eleven of the world\u2019s twenty fastest-growing economies and a young population \u2013 we see this as a wonderful opportunity to truly make basketball a driver of economies.<\/p>\n
\u2013 Mark Tatum<\/p>\n
However, the league\u2019s expansion is not without criticism. Amnesty International raises concerns about the NBA\u2019s partnership with the government of Rwanda, one of BAL\u2019s key partners and whose Visit Rwanda logo appears on jerseys. This underscores the need for transparency and accountability in collaborations with government and international organizations.<\/p>\n
In response to the criticisms, according to Amnesty International, in February 2025 Tatum replied in a letter noting that the NBA complies with the requirements of other countries in its overseas operations. BAL\u2019s financial landscape this season will also depend on transparent management of costs and revenues, improvements in infrastructure, and local support.<\/p>\n
Regarding the future franchise model, the city of Kigali has become one of the key venues: BK Arena hosted the BAL final and will host the 2026 final. Also next to the arena, Zaria Court has emerged \u2013 a jointly funded center that supports youth through educational camps and courts with distinct aims, co-founded by Masai Ujiri and Giants of Africa.<\/p>\n
Ujiri believes BAL must spread to realize its full potential: \u201cIt has to be in Nairobi. It has to be in Lagos. It has to be in Abidjan, Accra, Johannesburg.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2013 Masai Ujiri<\/p>\n
Looking ahead, there is a need for further development of infrastructure, transparency in costs and revenues, and the growth of local support networks. BAL should become a true engine of economic activity in the region while ensuring financial accountability and performance, enabling African basketball to compete on the global stage with renewed strength and confidence in the future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Investors are betting on Africa\u2019s rising basketball market as leagues professionalize and franchises attract multi-million dollar bids. The…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":831367,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[574],"tags":[404395,64,63,404396,404394,726,154801,105667,44,85,404397],"class_list":["post-831366","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-basketball","tag-african-basketball","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-bal","tag-bal-nba-africa-sports-investment-franchise-model-african-basketball","tag-basketball","tag-franchise-model","tag-nba-africa","tag-news","tag-sports","tag-sports-investment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/831366","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=831366"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/831366\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/831367"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=831366"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=831366"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=831366"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}