Inside Africa’s $12bn Sports Market
Africa’s sports economy is no longer just about talent exports. The sector is growing into a robust industry attracting record investment from global brands, betting firms, and governments alike.
Bonface Orucho, bird story agency
A surge in commercial partnerships, rising domestic investment, and growing audiences are driving noticeable growth in sports economies in several African countries. Beyond being a stage where star athletes are sourced, Africa is rapidly becoming a platform for sports tourism, investment, and innovation. The African sports market is now estimated at US$12 billion, according to consulting firm Oliver Wyman, with projections showing it could surpass US$20 billion by 2035, driven by rising sponsorship, media rights, and event revenues.
“There is a clear shift towards business-focused sporting activities,” said Herman Okindo, a Nairobi-based sports journalist and sports merchandise investor. “Even at the grassroots, we are seeing corporates from businesses, betting companies, and others channelling resources into the sports economy,” he shared in a call.
Notably, Africa’s sports economy is matching the global sports economy, but Africa’s growth stands out for its youthful demographic, with over 40% of the world’s youth expected to live in Africa within five years, according to the UN. That demographic dividend translates into the world’s most dynamic fan base. The ASCI Strength in Numbers report notes that over 225 million amateur footballers play across Africa, feeding a vast participation and audience pipeline that brands are eager to reach.
The potential of Africa’s sports economy is best evidenced in countries like Rwanda, which is aggressively pursuing business opportunities in the global sports sector. This week, the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), through its tourism arm Visit Rwanda, unveiled new multi-year sponsorships with the LA Clippers in the NBA and the Los Angeles Rams in the NFL, marking the first time an African tourism brand has simultaneously partnered with top-tier American basketball and football franchises.
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The deal gives Visit Rwanda exclusive jersey patch rights with the Clippers and official sponsorship status with the Rams, SoFi Stadium, and Hollywood Park. It also includes entitlement rights to two premium spaces inside SoFi Stadium, alongside digital branding on the venue’s massive Infinity Screen and LED displays during games.
“This engagement enables us to export Rwanda’s unrivalled natural beauty and extraordinary biodiversity to the people of Los Angeles as well as NBA and NFL fans everywhere,” according to Jean-Guy Afrika, CEO of the Rwanda Development Board.
The partnerships will go beyond branding. In collaboration with the Clippers, Visit Rwanda will fund the refurbishment of a basketball court in Kigali, support youth coaching clinics, and exchange expertise between the Clippers’ G League affiliate in San Diego and Rwandan coaches. It’s a strategy that builds on Rwanda’s growing sports diplomacy portfolio, which already includes Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), and Atlético de Madrid, as well as an academy partnership with FC Bayern Munich. For Rwanda, sport has become a national marketing tool, one that positions the country as a stable, dynamic investment hub. It is also a soft-power strategy that connects African identity to global excellence.
“We’ve seen the energy that has brought the league to Rwanda,” said Gillian Zucker, CEO of Halo Sports and Entertainment, which oversees the Clippers. “This sponsorship is a natural fit, one focused on growing the game and creating opportunities for young people.”
Rwanda’s visibility play is timed well. The sports sponsorship market was estimated at US$97.35 billion in 2023. The industry is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 8.68% until 2030, reaching a value of almost US$190 billion according to Statista.
Yet Africa accounts for barely 1% of global sponsorship spending, suggesting massive headroom for growth, according to the ASCI Strength in Numbers study. African teams, leagues, and cities are increasingly part of that equation, with new deals linking domestic competitions to global capital flows.
The Basketball Africa League (BAL), now in its fifth season, is a prime example. The league, a joint initiative between the NBA and FIBA, reported record attendance of 111,000 fans across its 2025 group phases and 2.7 million YouTube views, underscoring Africa’s growing audience power. That visibility is changing sponsorship math. In 2010, fewer than 15% of African leagues had title sponsors. Today, the figure exceeds 70%, according to PwC’s 2025 Africa Sports Outlook. Corporate investment, once concentrated in football, is spreading into basketball, athletics, motorsport, and women’s football.
Infrastructure spending is following suit. Africa now boasts more than 109 stadiums with capacities above 30,000, while landmark investments such as the US$257 million Abidjan Alassane Ouattara Stadium, US$270 million Dakar Arena, and Rwanda’s US$165 million Amahoro upgrade show how governments are betting on sport as an economic growth lever.
The emergence of betting operators as headline sponsors has accelerated this shift. In September, Paris Saint-Germain renewed its partnership with global betting firm 1xBet, extending the deal through 2028. The brand remains PSG’s official betting partner across Asia, Africa, and select international territories, with LED and 3D carpet visibility during broadcasts and joint digital activations.
“We are delighted to extend our partnership with 1xBet,” said Richard Heaselgrave, PSG’s Chief Revenue Officer. “Together, we have already achieved remarkable milestones, and this renewed agreement will allow us to further engage our worldwide fan base.”
Across Africa, betting firms are now among the biggest funders of local sport. The Nigerian company betPawa has emerged as a major investor in national leagues. In 2024, the firm injected ₦494 million (US$350,000) into the Nigeria National League (NNL), introducing a “Locker Room Bonus” system that pays ₦56,000 to each player and staff member of every winning team.
The model is designed to ensure cash reaches athletes directly while sustaining league operations. Similar structures have since appeared in Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, where betPawa also sponsors women’s football.
“These grassroots investments are critical because sponsorship spending in Africa remains small relative to global benchmarks,” Okindo explained.
Estimates show that African sports sponsorship spend averaged US$1.3 billion in 2024, compared to US$21 billion in Europe and US$19 billion in North America. But growth is steep, with double-digit increases projected through 2030, driven by domestic brands and state-backed marketing budgets, according to the PwC report.
Tourism boards are a big part of this momentum. Beyond Rwanda, South Africa’s “Sho’t Left” and Kenya’s “Magical Kenya” have sponsored motorsport, rugby, and marathons, linking destination marketing to sport-based storytelling. The difference with Rwanda’s new deals lies in scale and continuity. The Los Angeles partnerships mark the first time an African tourism brand has entered both the NBA and NFL, leagues with combined annual audiences exceeding 1.2 billion across digital and broadcast platforms.
At SoFi Stadium alone, Visit Rwanda will have permanent branding exposure at events expected to draw more than 70,000 fans per game, plus global broadcast reach. The combined marketing value, according to U.S. sponsorship analytics firm SponsorPulse, could exceed US$20 million per season in equivalent exposure.
The long-term play is tourism growth. Rwanda’s international visitor arrivals have rebounded strongly since the pandemic, climbing to 1.4 million in 2024, with receipts of US$620 million, according to the RDB. Officials expect the Los Angeles activations to drive new U.S. tourist flows and raise Rwanda’s brand equity among American investors. However, according to Okindo, Africa’s maturing sports economy now needs stronger auditing and accountability frameworks.
“Transparent revenue-sharing models, third-party monitoring, and local reinvestment plans will be essential to ensure the new money builds long-term value rather than temporary visibility.”
“Rwanda’s approach, pairing branding with coaching exchanges and youth engagement, may offer a template. But scaling it continent-wide will require coordination among federations, regulators, and investors.”
The African sports audience is projected to exceed 800 million by 2030, and with global broadcasters investing heavily in African content, the next five years could define how sustainable the continent’s sports boom becomes.
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