The Basketball Africa League (BAL) tournament is one of the most prestigious competitions on the African continent, boosting NBA Africa’s economy by up to 1000% annually, according to the Chief Executive Officer of NBA Africa, Clare Akamanzi.
This revelation was made during a press conference held on Friday, May 22, 2026, just before the start of the 2026 BAL playoffs at the BK Arena. The event was attended by BAL President Amadou Gallo Fall, NBA Africa CEO Clare Akamanzi, NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum, and the President of the International Basketball Federation in Africa (FIBA Africa), Anibal Manave.
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Fan Attendance and Global Reach
The newly appointed NBA Africa CEO, Akamanzi, expressed high expectations for fan attendance in Rwanda, noting that previous tournament phases held in other countries saw massive turnout and significantly contributed to the financial growth of the sport.
She stated that after concluding the qualifying rounds in Morocco and South Africa, they gained nearly 75,000 ticket‑paying fans in those two countries alone, which effectively doubled their previous sales figures.
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Furthermore, she added that their global fan outreach spanned over 200 countries, driving the annual economic growth of the BAL and NBA Africa by 1000%, while also securing around 20 major partnerships, underscoring the unique appeal of the tournament.
Future Projections and Franchise Plans
Other discussions during the press conference centered on the future, projecting that over the next 10 years, revenue generated from the BAL is expected to rise from $250 million to $4.5 billion, while creating employment opportunities for up to 650,000 people.
To enhance the excitement of the competition and expand its reach to more teams and countries, an advanced project is currently being evaluated to establish permanent franchise teams within the BAL alongside two slot variations reserved for teams emerging from regional qualifiers.
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Normally, the BAL format features top clubs that excelled in their respective domestic leagues, culminating in a final tournament that brings together the 12 best‑performing teams. This new initiative is highly anticipated to help basketball deepen its roots across the African continent, building upon past programs that successfully nurtured African talent into the NBA.
Talent Development and Infrastructure Commitment
These programs include initiatives like Basketball Without Borders, which scouted and developed elite stars such as Joel Embiid and Pascal Siakam. Proving the continued success of this pipeline, South Sudanese prospect Khaman Maluach was recently selected by the Phoenix Suns this year.
In its ongoing commitment to support the African continent through sports, NBA Africa plans to build 1000 basketball courts across Africa to make the game accessible to a larger youth population, which is why Amadou Fall called upon investors to actively participate in making this infrastructure project a reality.
