Kigali prepares for the Giants of Africa Festival, highlighting basketball

What you need to know about the Giants of Africa Festival

The first running of the festival was also held in Kigali – where 250 young people from 16 African countries thrilled spectators with their culture and sporting prowess.

On the court, under the lights at the BK Arena, there was no stopping Mali’s girls and Senegal’s boys, who both emerged champions in the first edition.

Not only were champions crowned on the court, off it, there were a lot of human-centred activities.

Under the build initiative, a number of courts were placed outdoor, in Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village and the aesthetically pleasing Kimisagara Youth Centre – to name a couple.

In that same spirit and energy, the 2025 edition will be a wonderful spectacle with 20 countries, made up of 40 teams, expected to battle it out for supremacy on the court.

Participating countries include: Rwanda, Cameroon, South Sudan, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Senegal, Mali, DR Congo, Morocco, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Somalia, Botswana, South Africa, Gabon, Benin, and Ethiopia.

The aim of the event is to support and educate young people from across Africa, enabling them to impact their societies in a positive manner, to serve as catalysts for community changes, and community building.