Sandile Sibonyine is set to feature for Johannesburg Giants in the upcoming Basketball Africa League 2026 season. The South African champions will compete in the Kalahari Conference, scheduled to take place in Pretoria from March 27 to April 5. Sibonyine, 28, who currently plays for United Generation Basketball, made his BAL debut in 2022, averaging 5.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game during his rookie campaign. ALSO READ: UGB sign South African star Sibonyine on one-year deal He brings valuable experience to the Giants, having previously been a key figure for MBB, despite the team falling short of reaching the conference finals on home soil. The power forward also holds the BAL single-game rebounding record, having grabbed an impressive 25 rebounds in a single match. In 2024, Sibonyine joined Urunani BBC in the Burundian Basketball Championship, where he continued to shine. During his time with the club, he set another rebounding record with 23 boards in a game against Remesha BBC. He went on to win the league title with Urunani after a seven-game finals victory over Dynamo BBC and was named Defensive Player of the Year. Giants’ impressive road to BAL During the Road to BAL qualifiers organised by FIBA between October and November 2025, the Johannesburg Giants emerged as one of the standout teams. They swept all opponents in South Africa’s playoffs with a perfect 5–0 record before travelling to Lusaka, where they maintained their unbeaten run, winning all five Group E games. The Giants began the Elite 16 round in Nairobi with a commanding 92–71 victory over Namuwongo Blazers, before suffering their first defeat of the campaign, an 86–83 loss to Nairobi City Thunder. However, they bounced back when it mattered most. In the Elite 16 semi-finals, the Giants stunned Dar City 71–69, with rising star Nino Dim leading the scoring with 21 points. Sibonyine played a decisive role in the closing moments, producing a crucial block on Youssoupha Ndoye in the final two seconds to deny overtime and secure the Giants’ qualification for the 2026 BAL season.
