The Basketball Africa League (BAL) announced today that its sixth season will commence on Friday, March 27 at the SunBet Arena in South Africa’s capital city Pretoria, with the 2026 BAL Finals scheduled for Sunday, May 31 at BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda.
The 2026 season will feature 12 elite club teams representing 12 African countries competing in 42 games across three host cities: Pretoria, Rabat, Morocco, and Kigali.
New Conference Format
This season introduces a two-conference structure, with teams divided into the Kalahari Conference and Sahara Conference, each consisting of six teams.
Both conferences will play a 15-game group phase, with teams facing each conference opponent once.
The Kalahari Conference group phase runs from March 27 through April 5 in Pretoria, while the Sahara Conference takes the court April 24 through May 3 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex in Rabat.
Eight teams from both conferences will advance to the Playoffs in Kigali, scheduled for May 22-31. Fans can register their interest in tickets at BAL.NBA.com.
League Leadership Weighs In
“Returning to South Africa, Morocco and Rwanda for our sixth season speaks to the strong sporting cultures and rapidly growing basketball ecosystems in those countries,” said BAL President Amadou Gallo Fall.
“The BAL continues to inspire fans across the continent and drive opportunities and global recognition for African talent. We look forward to welcoming fans to BAL games in all three markets and to showcasing incredible competition and energy on and off the court to a global audience when the season tips off.”
FIBA Africa President Anibal Manave emphasized the league’s expanding influence: “As we approach the tip off of the sixth Basketball Africa League season, we can celebrate the league’s growing impact and the way this competition continues to elevate the game across the region. We also continue to see the importance of the Road to the BAL as a pathway that expands access and strengthens competition across the continent. Entering the sixth season with such momentum is a testament to the BAL’s influence on players, clubs and communities, and we look forward to another year of exceptional basketball.”
Beyond Basketball
The BAL will integrate African culture through music, fashion, lifestyle and entertainment programming, featuring appearances by prominent celebrities and influencers.
The league will also partner with organizations to deliver basketball development and social impact initiatives across seven countries: the three host nations plus Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal.
Programming includes youth, coach and referee clinics, literacy and educational initiatives, media networking events, and BAL4HER camps and workshops—the league’s platform dedicated to advancing gender equality in African sports.
Rwanda Development Board returns as BAL Foundational Partner, joined by sponsors including Afreximbank, Air Senegal, Amazon Web Services, Castle Lite, the French Embassy in Senegal, and RwandAir.
Building on Historic Success
The 2025 season saw Libya’s Alahli Tripoli become the first Libyan team to capture the BAL Finals championship on June 14, 2025, joining previous winners from Angola, Egypt and Tunisia.
Last season reached audiences in 214 countries and territories across 17 languages, set an attendance record exceeding 140,000 fans, and generated over 1.2 billion impressions on NBA and BAL social media platforms.
The league will announce the 12 participating teams and additional details about the 2026 season at a later date.
