In a recent sitdown with Bloomberg News Correspondent Jennifer Zabasajja, NBA Africa CEO Clare Akamanzi outlined the Basketball Africa League’s ambitious expansion plans to drive economic growth, job creation and the development of basketball's professional industry across the continent.
Last Updated on
October 29, 2025
Following NBA Commissioner Adam Silver's announcement about the Basketball Africa League (BAL) and the newly unveiled expansion plan, reported exclusively by AfricaBasket.net, NBA Africa CEO Clare Akamanzi spoke with Bloomberg Television.
During Clare Akamanzi's sit-down with Bloomberg News Correspondent and Anchor Jennifer Zabasajja, she discussed in detail the future of the BAL and how basketball is influencing economic development.
"The goal is to catalyse economic development using sports and basketball in particular. And so if we are going to catalyse economic development, then we have to look at the whole ecosystem, which is beyond the courts." Said Clare Akamanzi during the early part of the discussion.
Reports indicate that since its official launch in 2021, the BAL has driven notable economic growth across Africa, adding more than $250 million to the continent's GDP and generating roughly 37,000 to 40,000 jobs during its first five seasons.
As lamented by CEO Akamanzi, this type of growth is very much at the core of the next phase of the Basketball Africa League:
"[We want] to develop other opportunities that come with investment in basketball. You can play professionally in the BAL. But there are so many jobs and opportunities around all of that. If you're a data analyst, a marketing expert, a technology expert, into AI, or into hospitality, restaurants, security, or transportation, all those industries thrive when the league thrives. And so this is where we've seen real impacts."
According to league-issued statistics, more than 600 media members from 30 countries across Africa, Europe, and the U.S. were credentialed to cover the three conference group phases.
As reported, a larger plan is underway to expand into more countries and thus increase job and economic growth.
"Imagine how much more we're going to do when we play in ten countries, 12 countries, 20 countries. It's going to be a huge, powerful platform for job creation, economic development and dreams for those who want to play professionally," Akamanzi emphasised.
Later in the interview, Jennifer Zabasajja asked CEO Akamanzi about BAL's expansion plans, even though not all countries across the continent currently have the arenas required by the league:
"The potential is in many countries of the African continent. We see momentum growing in South Africa. The media market and the purchasing power in South Africa is quite strong, and we think that's something that can allow entertainment to be consumed," Said Akamanzi.
Continuing, Clare Akamanzi, an accomplished lawyer who started her role as the NBA Africa CEO in January 2024, also stated,
"You see it in Nigeria. As far as players. But also, the economy is consuming. We don't have an arena in Nigeria, but we know that the day we have an arena in Nigeria, it's going to be a whole different game story."
Phase one is complete, and now NBA Africa and the Basketball Africa League are taking steps to transition into phase two to fortify their sustainability efforts, boost job growth and increase revenue.
Last year, Bloomberg published a report stating that the Basketball Africa League recorded a $19 million loss for the 2024 financial year, which was in despite generating around $15 million in revenue. However, its important to note that these findings were debunked by Deputy Commissioner of the NBA, Mark Tatum.
The BAL's growth trajectory has thus far shown immense potential and long-term promise across the continent's ever-growing (and evolving) basketball landscape, at both the grassroots and professional levels.
The league's lamented impact on local job creation and sports-driven economic development will strengthen the sport's foundation. But ultimately, infrastructure and its implementation will take basketball across Africa to the next level.
Sustaining and accelerating this progress will demand greater collaboration and investment from African governments across all key markets, CEO Clare Akamanzi, which, in itself, will be tricky. With the right level of buy-in, the Basketball Africa League will be well-positioned to shape the future of basketball across the continent and accelerate its progress, especially at the grassroots level.
A thriving league, both economically and structurally, means more opportunities for those seeking to either excel on or off the court (or even both).
Click HERE to watch the full interview.
[Photography Courtesy of the NBA/BAL]
