The brand collaboration between Africell, Africa’s only U.S.-owned mobile network operator, and NBA Africa (https://Africa.NBA.com/) in Angola has taken a leap forward with the widening of its scope to include all four of Africell’s African operating markets with the addition of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), The Gambia and Sierra Leone.
Launched in 2022, the collaboration between Africell and NBA Africa in Angola has already seen thousands of young Angolans given opportunities to learn and play the game. Basketball has a rich history and broad popular appeal in the country of over 30 million people, and Africell and NBA Africa have nurtured a new generation’s passion for the sport through a wide-ranging programme, including Jr. NBA tournaments, clinics and a court refurbishment.
Building upon the momentum established through the collaborative efforts in Angola to date, Africell and NBA Africa will roll out the initiative to the DRC, The Gambia and Sierra Leone. While distinct in many ways, each of these countries has a young and highly active population craving opportunities to participate in high-quality organised sports. The expanded collaboration will introduce a Jr. NBA league in Angola, which will tip off next month, and will be followed by clinics and 3-on-3 tournaments in Angola, the DRC, The Gambia and Sierra Leone in 2026.
Sports and healthcare are key impact areas of the Africell Impact Foundation, and the collaboration between Africell and NBA Africa across Africell’s four operating markets aims to deliver meaningful social impact while also supporting Africell’s commercial strategy by growing its customer base and engaging new audiences.
“It is difficult to overstate the magnetic pull that the NBA brand enjoys in Africa,” says Ziad Dalloul, CEO, president and founder of Africell Group. “Not only does the NBA name have associations with legendary teams and star athletes, but it also stands in the minds of many for the values of aspiration, hard work and excellence. Africell is thrilled to be expanding its collaboration with NBA Africa to DRC, The Gambia and Sierra Leone for the first time, and we look forward to sharing the stardust with our many young customers.”
Clare Akamanzi, CEO of NBA Africa, says: “Our collaboration with Africell in Angola has shown us firsthand how basketball can inspire, empower and transform the lives of youth. Building on that success, we are excited to expand into the DRC, The Gambia, and Sierra Leone – countries where Africell is already deeply rooted, where there is strong affinity for basketball, and where together we can make a meaningful and lasting social impact.”
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of National Basketball Association (NBA).
About Africell:
Africell (https://Africell.com/) provides fast, reliable, low-cost mobile network coverage and related technology services to almost twenty million subscribers in sub-Saharan Africa. We currently operate in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone and The Gambia. Africell is US-owned, headquartered in London, and directly and indirectly employs more than ten thousand people.
Through the Africell Impact Foundation, Africell invests in and supports initiatives that provide benefits to our operating markets and the wider region in the areas of sports, health and wellbeing; education and entrepreneurship; and arts, culture, and heritage. Our ambition is to narrow Africa’s opportunity gap by linking people to the digital and physical resources they need to engage fully in community life at a local, national and international level.
For more information, visit www.Africell.com or connect with us on LinkedIn (https://apo-opa.co/47iivri).
About NBA Africa:
NBA Africa is an affiliate of the National Basketball Association (NBA), a global sports and media organization with the mission to inspire and connect people everywhere through the power of basketball. NBA Africa conducts the league’s business in Africa, including the Basketball Africa League (BAL), and has opened subsidiary offices in Cairo, Egypt; Dakar, Senegal; Johannesburg, South Africa; Lagos, Nigeria; and Nairobi, Kenya. The league’s efforts on the continent have focused on increasing access to basketball and the NBA through youth and elite development, social responsibility, media distribution, corporate partnerships, NBA Africa Games, NBA Stores, the BAL, and more.
NBA games and programming are available in all 54 African countries, and the NBA has hosted three sold-out exhibition games on the continent since 2015. The BAL, a partnership between the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and NBA Africa, is a professional league featuring 12 club teams from across Africa that concluded its fifth season in June 2025. Fans can follow @ NBAAfrica on Facebook and YouTube, @ nbaafricaofficial on Instagram, @ NBA_Africa on X, and @ theBAL on Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.