Africell and NBA Africa Expand Partnership Across Four Countries — A Slam Dunk for Development, Not Just Sponsorship

What began in Angola in 2022 as a youth basketball collaboration between Africell, Africa’s only U.S.-owned telecom operator, and NBA Africa, has now evolved into a full-court partnership spanning four countries: Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), The Gambia, and Sierra Leone.

The expansion, announced by Africell Group CEO Ziad Dalloul, marks a strategic and social milestone. The partnership will see Jr. NBA leagues, clinics, and 3-on-3 tournaments rolled out across the four nations beginning 2026 — building on programs that have already reached thousands of Angolan youth through training camps, court refurbishments, and mentorship programs.

“It’s hard to overstate the NBA’s magnetic pull in Africa,” said Dalloul. “The league stands for aspiration, hard work, and excellence — values Africell shares deeply. We’re thrilled to bring that energy to the DRC, The Gambia, and Sierra Leone.”

Africell, headquartered in London but operating across sub-Saharan Africa, serves nearly 20 million subscribers in its four markets. Through its Africell Impact Foundation, the company invests in programs that merge sports, technology, and community development — from digital inclusion to youth entrepreneurship. Dalloul said the partnership with NBA Africa aligns with Africell’s broader mission to “link people to the digital and physical resources they need to engage fully in society.”

A Bigger Game Plan: Sport as Infrastructure

Clare Akamanzi, CEO of NBA Africa, said the partnership’s expansion is proof that basketball can be more than a sport — it can be a catalyst for education, health, and youth empowerment. “We’ve seen firsthand in Angola how basketball transforms lives. Now, with Africell’s footprint, we’re extending that impact where passion for the game is already immense,” she said.

And she’s not exaggerating. In Angola — a country where basketball ranks second only to religion — Africell and NBA Africa’s program has revitalized community courts, hosted Jr. NBA tournaments, and even produced scholarship pathways for young athletes.

Now, that model will reach Kinshasa, Banjul, and Freetown — cities where the youth population under 25 exceeds 60%. The initiative will create a continent-wide pipeline of young talent, while using sports as a safe, structured alternative to idleness and instability.

The Business Behind the Bounce

Of course, this partnership is also smart business. Africell’s community outreach dovetails neatly with its commercial strategy — engaging younger audiences, strengthening brand loyalty, and embedding the company within the cultural fabric of its markets. In regions where connectivity equals opportunity, basketball becomes both a sport and a signal booster.

For the NBA, the expansion deepens its already impressive African presence — with offices in Cairo, Dakar, Johannesburg, Lagos, and Nairobi, and the Basketball Africa League (BAL) entering its sixth season in 2026. With every new court, the league’s brand spreads further into the continent’s 54 nations — turning fandom into long-term infrastructure.

Africa’s Bounce Forward

From Luanda to Kinshasa, Banjul to Freetown, basketball is becoming a new language of mobility and modern identity. The Africell–NBA Africa partnership shows that Africa’s development stories don’t have to start with aid — they can start with a game, a ball, and a network.

And yes, when the Wi-Fi’s fast, the courts are lit, and the youth are inspired — that’s how you build not just athletes, but nations ready to compete globally.