Season six of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) will tip off on Friday, March 27, at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria, South Africa.
The 2026 season will feature the top 12 club teams from 12 African countries playing 42 games in Pretoria, Rabat (Morocco), and Kigali (Rwanda).
Key Changes
This season, the league reverts to two conferences. The 12 teams will be divided into two conferences of six teams each. Each conference will play a 15-game group phase during which each team will face the other five teams in its conference once.
The Kalahari Conference group phase will take place from Friday, March 27 to Sunday, April 5 in Pretoria while the Sahara Conference group phase will take place from Friday, April 24 to Sunday, May 3 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex in Rabat.
Eight teams from across the two conferences will qualify for the Playoffs that will be hosted at the BK Arena Kigali from Friday, May 22 to Sunday, May 31.
“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,” said BAL President Amadou Gallo Fall.
“The BAL continues to inspire fans across the continent and drive opportunities and global recognition for African talent. We look forward to welcoming fans to BAL games in all three markets and to showcasing incredible competition and energy on and off the court to a global audience when the season tips off,” he added.
Social Impact
BAL will also collaborate with its partners to host basketball development and social impact programming in the three host markets as well as Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal, including youth, coach and referee clinics, children’s literacy and educational initiatives, media networking, and a series of camps and workshops for young women as part of BAL4HER, the league’s platform for advancing gender equality in the African sports ecosystem.
“As we approach the tip-off of the sixth Basketball Africa League season, we can celebrate the league’s growing impact and the way this competition continues to elevate the game across the region,” said FIBA Africa President Anibal Manave.
“We also continue to see the importance of the Road to the BAL as a pathway that expands access and strengthens competition across the continent. Entering the sixth season with such momentum is a testament to the BAL’s influence on players, clubs and communities, and we look forward to another year of exceptional basketball.”
In addition to the games, the league will celebrate the convergence of basketball and African culture through the music, fashion, lifestyle and entertainment that surrounds today’s game, highlighted by appearances from leading celebrities and influencers.