Basketball in Africa: Fueling Growth & Development

Basketball Africa League (BAL) and Afreximbank announced, on the sidelines of the intra-African trade fair (IATF 2025), on September 10, 2025, in Algiers, the expansion of their collaboration in order to strengthen the skills of young sport professionals and support the African creative industries. At the heart of this partnership is the launch of “Bal Advance: Next Play”, planned for the sixth League season in 2026. This program aims to develop financial literacy, leadership skills and the entrepreneurial spirit of the continents and coaches of the continent, thanks to specialized workshops and strategic networking opportunities.

In parallel, Afreximbank will also support Bal Future Pros, an unprecedented initiative which will allow young African talents at the start of their career in the sport industry to benefit from training, practical experiences and integration within the BAL departments. Online applications will open at the end of September on NBA Careers and Bal platforms.

The signature ceremony was followed by a masterclass on the sport business, led by former NBA champion Ian Mahinmi, ball ambassador. A Bal4her camp was also organized in Algiers for 20 young local basketball players under the age of 23.

For Amadou Gallo Fall, president of the ball, this partnership illustrates the desire to “make basketball an engine of economic growth and the ball a showcase of African excellence”. For his part, Kanayo Awani praised the championship contribution to the promotion of creative industries and confirmed the upcoming launch of a series of content valuing African fashion designers in sport.

By this initiative, the BAL and Afreximbank consolidate their role as strategic actors in the development of a sustainable African sports and cultural ecosystem, offering young people from the continent to build their future on and outside the land.