The Basketball Africa League (BAL) has announced that its sixth season will tip off on March 27 at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria, South Africa, and culminate with finals on May 31 at BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda. The 2026 BAL season will feature the top 12 club teams from 12 African countries playing 42 games in Pretoria; Rabat, Morocco; and Kigali. This season, the 12 teams will be divided into two conferences of six teams each. Each conference will play a 15-game group phase during which each team will face the other five teams in its conference once. The Kalahari Conference group phase will take place from March 27 – April 5 in Pretoria. The Sahara Conference group phase will take place from April 24 – May 3 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex in Rabat. Eight teams from across the two conferences will qualify for the playoffs in Kigali from May 22 – May 31. “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, he added. FIBA Africa President Anibal Manave noted that as they approach the tip off of the sixth BAL season, they can celebrate the league’s growing impact and the way the 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, he said. 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, he added. Besides the games, the BAL will celebrate the convergence of basketball and African culture through the music, fashion, lifestyle and entertainment that surrounds today’s game, highlighted by appearances from leading celebrities and influencers. The league will also collaborate with its partners to host basketball development and social impact programming in the three host markets as well as Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal. These programs include youth, coach and referee clinics, children’s literacy and educational initiatives, media networking, and a series of camps and workshops for young women as part of BAL4HER, the league’s platform for advancing gender equality. Rwanda Development Board (RDB) will return as BAL foundational partner.
