Basketball Africa League season 6 set to begin March 27 in South Africa

The Basketball Africa League (BAL) has announced that its sixth season will tip off on Friday, March 27, 2026, at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria, South Africa, and conclude with the BAL Finals on Sunday, May 31 at BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda.

The season will feature 12 elite club teams from 12 African countries competing across three host cities: Pretoria, Rabat (Morocco), and Kigali.

The 2026 BAL season will consist of 42 games, with teams divided into two conferences of six teams each.

During the group phase, each team will play the other five teams in its conference once, resulting in 15 games per conference.

The Kalahari Conference group phase will be held in Pretoria from March 27 to April 5.

The Sahara Conference group phase will take place in Rabat at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex from April 24 to May 3.

Following the group stages, the top eight teams across both conferences will advance to the playoffs, scheduled for May 22–31 in Kigali.

BAL President Amadou Gallo Fall highlighted the league’s return to South Africa, Morocco, and Rwanda as a reflection of the strong sporting cultures and rapidly growing basketball ecosystems in those countries.

He emphasized the BAL’s role in inspiring fans, creating opportunities, and elevating African basketball on the global stage, while expressing excitement about delivering high-level competition and entertainment to audiences across the continent and worldwide.

FIBA Africa President Anibal Manave also praised the league’s growing impact, noting the importance of the Road to the BAL as a pathway that expands access and strengthens competition across Africa.

He described the league’s momentum entering its sixth season as a testament to its influence on players, clubs, and communities, and expressed optimism for another season of exceptional basketball.

In collaboration with its partners, the league will also deliver basketball development and social impact programs in the three host markets as well as Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, and Senegal.

These initiatives will include youth, coaching, and referee clinics, literacy and education programs, media networking opportunities, and camps and workshops for young women through BAL4HER, the league’s gender equity platform.

The 2025 BAL season set new milestones, reaching fans in 214 countries and territories, achieving record attendance of over 140,000, and generating more than 1.2 billion social media impressions.

Details about the 12 participating teams for the 2026 season will be announced at a later date.