While Kigali's billboards highlight the festival lineup, a quieter kind of arrival has taken place. Giants of Africa is not just a celebration of basketball but a convergence of icons lending their time and voice to shape a generation. Some of the most accomplished names in sports, media, and entertainment are in town. They aren’t just passing through. They’re mentoring campers, leading workshops, and giving back in ways that often go unreported. ALSO READ: Uncle Waffles spins, giants rise: Kigali welcomes Africa’s brightest talents Here’s a closer look at a few of the visiting stars who’ve touched down in Rwanda for something greater than the spotlight. Kawhi Leonard Kawhi Leonard, 34, brings the kind of focused presence that speaks without fanfare. Known for his composure, defensive brilliance, and deliberate tempo, Leonard has crafted a career on his own terms. Although injuries limited him to just 37 games during the 2024–25 season with the Los Angeles Clippers, he still averaged 21.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists. His efficiency and control remain unmatched. Leonard is a two-time NBA champion and six-time All-Star. His defensive legacy includes seven All-Defensive Team selections and two Defensive Player of the Year awards. With hands large enough to earn the nickname “The Klaw,” Leonard has become a symbol of quiet dominance. In 2021, he was honored as part of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team. His basketball journey began at San Diego State, where he was named a consensus second-team All-American. He entered the 2011 draft after two college seasons, selected 15th overall and traded to the San Antonio Spurs. With the Spurs, Leonard won his first NBA title in 2014 and was named Finals MVP. In 2019, during a single season with the Toronto Raptors, he led them to their first championship and earned his second Finals MVP award. He later returned home to Los Angeles to join the Clippers. Now, Leonard reunites with Masai Ujiri, the Raptors executive who helped engineer that historic 2019 run. Their meeting in Kigali is not about banners or stats. It’s about giving back. Leonard joins a group of athletes, artists, and leaders gathered for the 22nd edition of Giants of Africa, helping to inspire the next generation across the continent. His presence is subtle, but its weight is unmistakable. Robin Roberts Robin Roberts has spent a lifetime telling other people’s stories. In Kigali, she adds a new chapter to her own. The longtime broadcaster, known for her warmth and authority on Good Morning America, is part of the visiting delegation lending inspiration to this year's Giants of Africa festival. Born in Mississippi in 1960, Roberts first made her name in sports. Before the bright lights of national television, she was a standout on the basketball court, playing for Southeastern Louisiana University. She turned down a scholarship to Louisiana State, deciding instead on a smaller campus that felt more personal. She enrolled on a tennis scholarship, having been promised a journalism grant before graduation. On the court, she scored over 1,400 career points and pulled in more than 1,000 rebounds. She finished as the university’s third all-time leading scorer and rebounder, with her number 21 jersey now retired. After college, Roberts took her talents to local newsrooms, then to ESPN, where she became a trailblazer. She spent 15 years at the network, becoming the first woman to co-host NFL Primetime, before joining ABC’s Good Morning America in 2005. Her tenure has been marked by human interviews, frontline reporting during national tragedies, and moments of global resonance. She co-anchored the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and, in 2012, was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. Roberts has never strayed far from her roots in sport, nor her belief in its power to change lives. In Kigali, her presence carries weight beyond celebrity. She joins the festival not as a star behind a desk, but as a witness to transformation — a woman who once found her voice on the court and now uses it to amplify others. Through her Disney series Turning the Tables with Robin Roberts, and now through her engagement with Giants of Africa, she remains committed to storytelling that uplifts, challenges, and connects. Chiney Ogwumike Chiney Ogwumike does not wait for change. She makes it. A two-time WNBA All-Star and former No. 1 draft pick, Ogwumike arrives in Kigali not just as an athlete but as an advocate, mentor and voice for the future of African basketball. Born in 1992 to Nigerian parents, Ogwumike’s journey in sport began at Stanford University, where she majored in international relations and helped lead her team to three Final Four appearances. In her senior year, she led the Pac-12 Conference in scoring and rebounding, a dominance that led her to become the top pick in the 2014 WNBA Draft by the Connecticut Sun. That same year, she won Rookie of the Year and earned a place on the All-Star team alongside her sister, Nneka. The two made league history as the first pair of sisters selected for the All-Star game. Ogwumike would later join the Los Angeles Sparks and build a parallel career in media. In 2020, she became the first Black woman and the first active WNBA player to host a national radio show for ESPN. She was also among the youngest commentators ever named an NBA analyst at the network, covering men’s and women’s games while still competing at the highest level. This year, Ogwumike became the first woman to serve as a Basketball Africa League(BAL) ambassador. Her focus on gender equity and sustainable development in sport goes beyond titles. She is invested in widening the lane for African girls to dream of a future in basketball — and to have the resources to pursue it. Festus Ezeli Festus Ezeli’s journey stretches far beyond the paint. Born in Nigeria in 1989, he arrived in the United States at age 14, speaking little English and with no formal training in basketball. By 2012, he had become a first-round NBA draft pick. Ezeli played college basketball at Vanderbilt University before being selected 30th overall by the Golden State Warriors. In 2015, he won an NBA championship as part of the Warriors’ historic run. Yet not long after, injuries began to sideline him. A knee surgery in 2017 effectively paused his playing career. Though he signed with the Portland Trail Blazers, he never suited up due to complications from recovery. He returned briefly in 2021 with the Westchester Knicks of the G League, but by then his journey was shifting. Ezeli began exploring life after the game, finding new purpose in media. Today, he works as an NBA analyst for NBC Sports Bay Area, using his platform to educate, entertain, and uplift. Ezeli has remained connected to Africa, having played in the NBA Africa exhibition game in 2015. His presence is meaningful not just as a champion, but as a storyteller and mentor — someone who understands how to rise, fall, and rise again. Michael Blackson Michael Blackson did not come to Kigali to perform a set, but his presence brings levity and heart to a festival built on hope. The Ghanaian-American comedian, born in Accra and raised partly in the United States, has built a career on laughter — but his legacy is rooted in something deeper. Blackson’s early life was marked by migration and culture shock. After moving to Newark, New Jersey, and later Philadelphia at age 13, he faced the challenges many African immigrants know well: navigating identity, dealing with stereotypes, and finding a sense of belonging. Comedy became his bridge — a way to express the absurdity and pain of that in-between life. In 2000, he broke through with a role in Next Friday as the unforgettable “Angry African.” From there, he built a following through appearances on Def Comedy Jam, ComicView, and Shaquille O’Neal Presents: All Star Comedy Jam. His energy, raw delivery and pan-African pride made him a singular voice in comedy. But Blackson’s reach goes beyond the stage. In early 2023, he opened a free school in Agona Nsaba, Ghana — the same town where he once lived. The project reflects his belief in giving children the education he never fully received. It is a gesture as personal as it is public, offering a way out for kids whose circumstances mirror his own beginnings. Crazy Kenna In Nairobi, they call him the content cartel. In Kigali, Crazy Kennar brings a different kind of lesson — one shaped not by formulas but by fearless storytelling. Born Kennedy Odhiambo in 1998, the Kenyan digital comedian carved his path from an actuarial science lecture hall to the heart of African internet culture. Kennar's comedy began as a campus experiment. Armed with a smartphone and the support of friends, he launched “Tales of the Crazy Kennar” on YouTube in 2017. What started as a series of quick skits soon snowballed into a movement. His sharp eye for everyday absurdities, paired with a gift for physical comedy, resonated widely. Today, he boasts more than 675,000 subscribers and over 170 million views — numbers that speak not only to popularity, but also to the hunger for locally rooted digital storytelling. Despite a degree in actuarial science from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kennar followed his creative instincts. He later enrolled at AFDA Johannesburg to study creative writing, determined to elevate his craft beyond viral clips. What sets Kennar apart is not just humor, but intention. His sketches often double as social commentary, tackling youth unemployment, politics, love, and mental health. His ability to turn cultural friction into laughter has made him one of the most relatable and influential voices in East African content creation. At Giants of Africa, he represents a generation of creators who do not wait for permission to be seen. Kennar reminds young people that comedy, like sport, can be both purpose and profession — and that digital space, too, can shape culture. Sarah Zeinab Chan Sarah Zeinab Chan walks into a gym and sees more than talent. She sees possibility. The South Sudanese former professional basketball player, now the Africa scouting manager for the Toronto Raptors, brings a quiet authority to the Giants of Africa festival. Her story is one of resilience, reinvention, and a return to purpose. Raised as a refugee in Kenya, Chan turned to basketball as a path forward. She played professionally across Europe and Africa, from Spain to Tunisia, and shone on the continental stage. At the 2015 FIBA Africa Women's Champions Cup, she led in scoring and rebounding, earning a spot on the tournament’s All-Star Five. Yet it wasn’t trophies that kept her going — it was the hope that sport could open doors for girls like her. While coaching at a Giants of Africa camp in 2017, she caught the attention of Masai Ujiri, who saw in her the kind of vision that cannot be taught. Years later, he brought her into the Raptors’ front office as a scout and development associate. Today, she is the first woman to scout for an NBA team on the African continent, traveling to remote courts and small towns, uncovering raw talent where others aren’t looking. Chan is also the founder of the Home at Home Foundation, which fights child marriage and promotes education for girls through sport. She has helped bring Giants of Africa camps to places often overlooked — like Juba and Mogadishu — knowing firsthand how powerful it is for a girl to see herself in the game. Raymond Kahuma Raymond Kahuma is not your typical entertainer. His stage is the kitchen, his tools simple yet mighty. In 2022, Kahuma entered the Guinness World Records for creating Uganda’s largest rolex — a street food staple — weighing an astonishing 204.6 kilograms. The massive dish included 1,200 eggs, 90 kilograms of vegetables, and more than 40 kilograms of cooking oil, transforming humble ingredients into a spectacle of scale and skill. Kahuma’s appetite for challenge did not stop there. In November 2023, he set a new world record for the fastest chapati cooking, making three chapatis in just over three minutes. This feat, precise and swift, mirrors the rhythm of his growing YouTube channel, where his blend of entertainment and culinary craft has drawn over 100,000 subscribers. Behind the record-breaking feats lies a man passionate about redefining what it means to entertain. Kahuma’s content brings food, culture, and community together, inviting viewers to celebrate creativity in everyday moments. Percy Anane-Dwumfour Percy Anane-Dwumfour’s journey from shy child to celebrated dancer unfolds like graceful choreography. Raised in Toronto, Canada, his passion for movement blossomed quietly until high school, when joining the dance team sparked a new confidence. From that moment, dance became both expression and ambition. Self-taught at first, Anane-Dwumfour later honed his craft through professional dance companies such as Artists in Motion and The Vibe Xclusive. His versatility spans styles and stages, with credits that include performances at We Day 2014, the 2015 MMVA awards, the Toronto Raptors halftime shows, and the Pan Am Games. Beyond the stage, Percy has stepped into acting roles in productions including Law & Order: Toronto Criminal Intent, A Tribe Called Love, and Sneakerella. His presence bridges dance and drama, embodying stories with every move and every line. At Giants of Africa, Anane-Dwumfour represents the power of creativity to cross borders and disciplines. His work is a reminder that artistry is not confined to one form. Hermes Chibueze Iyele Hermes Chibueze Iyele’s story is one of transformation and tenacity. Born in Lagos in 1997 and known simply as Hermes, he first gained public attention as a contestant on the reality show Big Brother Naija: Level Up. But his journey goes deeper than reality TV fame. A dancer, performance artist, and basketball enthusiast, Hermes embodies the creative spirit of a new generation. His collaborations span some of Africa’s biggest music acts, including Davido, Odumodublvck, and Victony. His presence in music videos by Zinoleesky, Burna Boy, and BNXN adds layers to his artistic identity. More than performance, Hermes carries a mission. Through his documentary Why We Survive, he shares the stories of two street boys trying to escape hardship. The film reflects his own experiences growing up in difficult circumstances and his determination to build opportunities where none existed before. In Kigali, Hermes is a reminder that creativity can be a lifeline — a way to rewrite one’s story and open doors for others. His art is not only a performance but a call to survive, to thrive, and to uplift.
