Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA programs in Africa form part of NBA Africa’s mandate to grow the game on the continent through leagues, tournaments, clinics, and in-school initiatives. Through collaborations with basketball federations, ministries of Education and sports, and private companies, Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA programs in Africa have not only reached millions of youth throughout the continent but have also given boys and girls their first experience of playing organized basketball within their regions. Participating boys and girls not only benefit from on-court activities but also off-court activities, equipping them and their communities with necessary life skills, ensuring they can advance their lives beyond the court.
The Jr. NBA League in the Royal Bafokeng Nation, in South Africa’s North-West Province, is the flagship and the biggest Jr. NBA program on the continent, in collaboration with Royal Bafokeng Sports (RBS), spanning 12 years to date. It spans three age groups for boys and girls and reaches about 4,500 youth in the community through league participation and clinics which are held monthly from January till the finals in September.
The Jr. NBA Johannesburg League offers weekly basketball competition to kids from Soweto and the northern suburbs of the city. Last season culminated in a finals event which saw the San Antonio Spurs girls from the Soweto Academy coming out on top in the girls’ division, and the Brooklyn Nets boys from Sandton Bullz claiming their second title in a row. Across its conferences, the program has engaged more than 1,600 youth participants and dozens of boys’ and girls’ teams, helping expand access to organized basketball in Johannesburg.
The Jr. NBA South Sudan League has been operating since 2023, following the unveiling of the refurbished court in the city of Juba launched in collaboration with Stanbic Bank and the Luol Deng Foundation. The league currently engages over 450 youth participants per month in league games and basketball clinics.
The Jr. NBA League in Cairo, Egypt, is delivered in collaboration with MAVEN Developments and brings together boys and girls from across Africa for organized basketball competition. The league features 18 teams and engages nearly 200 players representing six African countries, providing young athletes with opportunities to compete, develop their skills and connect through basketball.
The Jr. NBA League in Mozambique in collaboration with ExxonMobil and the Clarisse Machanguana Foundation was launched in 2024 with the launch event seeing direct participation numbers of over 400 kids. The league anticipates the participation of over 8,000 youth in ancillary events such as clinics and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), programs and “Her Time To Play” events.
The Jr. NBA League in Rwanda provides structured basketball competition for local youth, bringing together more than 800 boys and girls across 55 teams. Through league play and related programming, participants have opportunities to develop their basketball skills, compete in a team environment and engage with the sport over the course of the program.
The Jr. NBA League in Angola is delivered in collaboration with ExxonMobil and operated by PanAfricare, providing boys and girls with opportunities to participate in organized basketball through league play, clinics and exhibition games. The basketball program engages approximately 500 local youth and is complemented by STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) programming designed to reach thousands of young people, extending the initiative’s impact beyond the court.
