| NBA Africa | |
| Industry: | Sports (Basketball) |
| Founded: | 2021 |
| Hq Location: | Block 3, Fenbridge Office Park, Randburg, 2194 |
| Hq Location City: | Johannesburg |
| Hq Location Country: | South Africa |
| Parent: | National Basketball Association |
NBA Africa is the African branch of the U.S.-based National Basketball Association (NBA) basketball league organization, which focuses on its business interests on the African continent. The entity was established in 2021 and co-organizes the Basketball Africa League (BAL), together with FIBA, among other activities.[1]
The National Basketball Association (NBA) had already been active on the continent, and opened its first African office in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2010. The league had already established a youth academy with the NBA Academy Africa, which opened in 2017, and is located in Senegal. The NBA organized exhibition games in Africa in 2015, 2017 and 2018, with African players competing in the friendly games.
The initial strategic investors included the Yinka Folawiyo Group, Helios Fairfax Partners Corporation (HFP), and Helios Investment Partners. Other investors include former NBA players Joakim Noah, Luol Deng and Grant Hill, among others. Former U.S. president Barack Obama is a minority partner and strategic advisor for the organization.[2] The NBA valued the organisation at $1 billion in 2021.[3]
NBA Africa has since then opened offices in Nairobi, Kenya,[4]
It also invests in infrastructure projects on the continent, investing in outdoor courts as well as the construction and renovation of indoor arenas.[5] It opened it first basketball school in Giza, Egypt, in 2024.[6]