THE Basketball Africa League is heading into its sixth season with its biggest and most geographically diverse field yet, announcing Thursday a 12-team lineup that includes first-ever representation from Tanzania and fresh entries from Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, South Africa and Tunisia.
The 2026 season tips off March 27 at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria — marking the first time South Africa has hosted BAL opening play — with tickets already on sale at Ticketmaster.co.za. The 42-game schedule will then move to Rabat, Morocco, before culminating with the Playoffs and Finals from May 22-31 at BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda.
“Welcoming five new teams into the BAL family is a powerful sign of the league’s continued growth,” said BAL President Amadou Gallo Fall. “We look forward to engaging our passionate fans as we continue to establish the BAL as the continent’s preeminent sport and entertainment property.”
Dar City of Tanzania becomes the 12th different country represented in BAL history, joining debutants JCA Kings (Côte d’Ivoire), Maktown Flyers (Nigeria), Johannesburg Giants (South Africa) and Club Africain (Tunisia) in a field that spans the full breadth of the African continent — from North Africa’s Mediterranean coast to East Africa’s Indian Ocean shoreline.
Returning to the field is Petro de Luanda of Angola, the only franchise to have qualified for all six BAL seasons and the reigning 2024 champion, alongside 2023 champion Al Ahly of Egypt.
The field is split into two six-team conferences. The Kalahari Conference will be held in Pretoria from March 27 to April 5, while the Sahara Conference convenes in Rabat from April 24 to May 3. Eight teams advance to the knockout rounds in Kigali.
Season play opens with APR of Rwanda facing Al Ahly Ly of Libya at 4:00 p.m. CAT, followed immediately by a marquee matchup between hosts Johannesburg Giants and Tanzania’s Dar City at 7:00 p.m.
Seven of the 12 clubs qualified automatically as national league champions from Angola, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal and Tunisia. The remaining five earned their berths through FIBA Africa’s Road to the BAL qualifying tournaments held across the continent from October through December 2025.
The BAL, a partnership between FIBA and NBA Africa and headquartered in Dakar, represents the NBA’s only collaboration to operate a professional league outside North America.
