The Basketball Africa League (BAL) will launch its sixth season on Friday, March 27, at SunBet Arena in Pretoria, South Africa. The season will conclude with the 2026 BAL Finals on Sunday, May 31, at BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda, featuring 12 club teams representing 12 African nations in a total of 42 games.

The 12 teams will be split into two conferences of six. Each conference will play a 15-game group phase, facing each other team once. The Kalahari Conference group stage will run from March 27 to April 5 in Pretoria, while the Sahara Conference will take place from April 24 to May 3 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex in Rabat, Morocco. Eight teams will advance to the playoffs in Kigali from May 22 to May 31. Fans can register interest in tickets at https://BAL.NBA.com.

Expanding African basketball and culture

BAL President Amadou Gallo Fall highlighted the league’s role in promoting basketball and African talent. “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,” he said. Fall emphasized that the BAL continues to inspire fans, drive opportunities for players, and showcase African talent to a global audience.

FIBA Africa President Anibal Manave echoed the sentiment, praising the league’s influence on clubs, players, and communities. He also highlighted the importance of the Road to BAL program, which expands access and strengthens competition across the continent. “Entering the sixth season with such momentum is a testament to the BAL’s impact, and we look forward to another year of exceptional basketball,” Manave said.

Social impact and fan engagement

Beyond the court, the BAL will celebrate African culture through music, fashion, lifestyle, and entertainment, featuring leading celebrities and influencers. The league will also run basketball development and social impact programs across host cities, including youth clinics, coach and referee training, literacy initiatives, and BAL4HER workshops that advance gender equality in African sports.

Foundational partner Rwanda Development Board will continue its support, alongside Afreximbank, Air Senegal, Amazon Web Services, Castle Lite, the French Embassy in Senegal, and RwandAir. The 2025 season saw Libya’s Alahli Tripoli become the first Libyan team to win the BAL Finals, with previous champions from Angola, Egypt, and Tunisia. That season reached fans in 214 countries, set attendance records above 140,000, and generated over 1.2 billion social media impressions.

Further details on the 12 participating teams and season schedule will be announced at a later date.