NBA Africa CEO Calls for Recognising Sports as a Strategic Economic Driver Across the Continent

Africa must shift its perception of sports from mere recreation to a critical economic sector that can fuel growth, according to NBA Africa CEO Clare Akamanzi.

She delivered these comments at the Africa Mindset Reset Forum, held at the Kigali Convention Centre on Wednesday, August 26.

Discussing the expanding Basketball Africa League (BAL), Akamanzi stressed that sports should be central to continental development plans, noting its economic ripple effects go well beyond athletes and games.

“Sports is not just talent. It is not merely recreation; it is an economy—a major business,” she asserted.

She highlighted the BAL as a case study of how developing sports as an industry—rather than just entertainment—can unlock new opportunities.

Akamanzi reported that the league generated roughly $250 million (≈ Rwf 368.4 billion) in GDP for four African nations over its first four seasons and created around 37,000 jobs continent‑wide.

She projected that these numbers could rise sharply as the league expands, with the BAL estimating it could support some 650,000 jobs and add $5 billion to Africa’s GDP within ten years.

The economic fallout of sports, she noted, permeates multiple sectors such as aviation, hospitality, food services, telecommunications, media, and live events.

“When 300 people travel for a single basketball game, the air tickets, hotels, restaurants, food, and data they consume represent a complete economic ecosystem,” she explained.

She also enumerated the diverse careers that blossom around athletes—coaching, refereeing, sports medicine, physiotherapy, journalism, broadcasting, content creation, marketing, and sales.

This broader ecosystem, she argued, underscores why governments and businesses should regard sports as a strategic investment.

She urged governments to cease viewing sports as just a social programme and to integrate sports infrastructure into overall national development plans.

Sports venues, she added, can double as hosts for concerts, entertainment shows, and other major events, thereby generating extra economic activity.

Building the ecosystem

Akamanzi also called on African families to rethink their view of sports careers, insisting that education and athletics should not be seen as mutually exclusive.

She noted that sport participation helps youths cultivate leadership, teamwork, discipline, and resilience—qualities typically nurtured through formal education and leadership programmes.

She cited South Sudanese basketball player Khaman Maluach as an example of what is possible when young talent is linked to proper developmental structures.

At 13, while a refugee in Uganda, Maluach was spotted by a scout and tried basketball for the first time. At 14, he enrolled at the NBA Academy Africa in Senegal, and four years later he was selected 10th overall in the NBA Draft.

For Akamanzi, his story raises a broader question: how many other talented young Africans remain undiscovered due to a lack of pathways to develop their abilities?

Africa’s goal, she stressed, should not be merely to develop athletes who later depart, but to construct sports ecosystems that keep more of the economic value generated by that talent within the continent.

“We are not exporting talent, because exporting talent also exports the value it brings,” she remarked.

Akamanzi called on governments, businesses, parents, and young people to view sports as a strategic asset that can drive Africa’s economic development, not just a peripheral activity.

“Sports does matter. Let’s consider it a strategic asset for our development,” she concluded.

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