Masai Ujiri's Giants of Africa Announces Giants of Africa Festival 2025
'Like these kids, I grew up on the continent,' says Ujiri. 'As Africans, we know the landscape of what the kids go through. We know they dream just like we did and it really inspires me because, those kids have so much more talent and intelligence, they have ways to communicate now that we didn't. This festival is about showing them there is a path. We want them to never stop dreaming.'
Giants of Africa Festival 2025 will begin with an exhilarating Opening Show, as the athletes unite in an inspiring parade to kick off the weeklong celebration. South African international DJ sensation Uncle Waffles, MTV Video Music Award-winning choreographer Sherrie Silver, and Rwandan singer and songwriter, Kevin Kade will bring electrifying performances as Ujiri and special guests welcome all to the festivities. The awe-inspiring event will mark the beginning of life-changing journeys for Africa's leaders of tomorrow.
Taking place across Kigali Sports City's BK Arena, Amahoro National Stadium, Petit Stade, and Paralympic Gymnasium, the festival will showcase the full potential of Africa's sports and entertainment ecosystem, highlighting its social and economic value for the next generation and the continent at large. Giants of Africa Festival 2025 will also serve as the grand opening of Zaria Court. Founded by Ujiri, the new mixed-use sports, entertainment, and cultural district includes an 80-room hotel, sports bar, basketball court, event space, retail outlets, gym, five-a-side football pitch, and outdoor public areas.
The festival will conclude with a spectacular Closing Concert featuring performances from Nigerian Afrobeats artist Kizz Daniel and award-winning Nigerian singer/songwriter Timaya. Celebrity guests in attendance throughout the week will include Chris Tucker, Candace Parker, Robin Roberts, Chiney Ogwumike, Didier Drogba, Michael Blackson, Boris Kodjoe and more. Additional performers for both the Opening Show and Closing Concert will be announced in the coming weeks.
Since 2003, Giants of Africa has empowered youth through basketball, hosting camps and building courts across 20 African countries. The foundation not only teaches game fundamentals but connects young people with inspirational mentors who show how determination, leadership, and integrity can transform dreams into reality. Also central to their mission is basketball's unique power to transcend barriers and unite diverse communities. The Giants of Africa Festival is a culmination of this vision, featuring a weeklong youth basketball camp and tournament that brings together young men and women from 20 nations. Youth campers will represent Senegal, Nigeria, Cameroon, Mali, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Benin, Gabon, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, Tanzania, D.R. Congo, Somalia, Ethiopia, Morocco, Botswana, and South Africa. Giants of Africa and NBA/WNBA coaches and personnel will lead training sessions, with assistance from local coaches from the participating countries. A round-robin tournament will determine which countries and players will compete in the festival's championship and all-star games.
This year, Giants of Africa will also present its inaugural Threads of Africa Fashion Show, celebrating culture, fashion, and design from across Africa. The show will spotlight the work of three talented fashion designers, each from a different region of the continent. Cameroon's Hortense Mbea (Afropian: https://apo-opa.co/4d97Od4), Niger's Alia Baré (Alia: https://apo-opa.co/3GMuRyk), and Rwanda and South Africa's Nyambo (Masa Mara: https://apo-opa.co/4377tTx) will each present their new collections, and come together for a moderated discussion.
Additionally, festival highlights include the International Youth Day Forum, presented in partnership with the Imbuto Foundation, Ministry of Youth and Arts and ALX, bringing together over 2,000 Rwandan youth and festival campers to hear from esteemed leaders. The Women's Community Outreach Program will take place in Rwanda and across all 20 represented countries, offering leadership and education sessions in local communities to empower women and girls with knowledge, resources, and inspiration.
Giants of Africa Festival 2025 follows the inaugural Giants of Africa Festival (https://apo-opa.co/42RZZFe) which took place in Kigali in 2023 in celebration of the non-profit's 20th anniversary. The event united over 250 youth basketball players from 16 African nations, drew in over 14,000 spectators, and saw an estimated $1.5M invested into Kigali's local economy. The festival culminated in a closing concert featuring performances from Afrobeats icon Davido, Queen of Afrobeats Tiwa Savage, Rwanda's own Bruce Melodie, and South African superstar Tyla. It was a beacon of unity, inspiration, and transformation that ignited the continent. Building upon their bold ambitions, Masai Ujiri and Giants of Africa are poised to make an even more powerful statement in 2025.
Tickets for Giants of Africa Festival 2025's Opening Show and Closing Concert will go on sale beginning Thursday, May 8 at 3:00PM Central Africa Time. To learn more about the festival, its other initiatives and to purchase tickets or VIP and corporate packages, please visit www.GOAFestival.org or email info@giantsofafrica.org.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Giants of Africa.
For the festival launch video and still images:
https://apo-opa.co/430fZUd
For more information, please contact:
Tamara Kamaka - Giants of Africa
tamara@giantsofafrica.org
Emmanuel Ainamani - SRC Agency
emmanuel@srcagency.com
Social Media:
Instagram: https://apo-opa.co/4d7L5Og
Facebook: https://apo-opa.co/44t3xik
X: https://apo-opa.co/4dbdpj9
YouTube: https://apo-opa.co/4k6P14f
About Masai Ujiri and Giants of Africa:
Masai Ujiri, an award-winning and barrier-breaking NBA executive, is the founder of Giants of Africa. Started in 2003, Giants of Africa draws upon Ujiri's unique basketball journey to achieve its goal of uplifting African youth with programs focused on empowerment and leadership. As the first African general manager in North American professional sports who was named NBA Executive of the Year in 2013, Ujiri's ascent to the top of the basketball world began in his native Nigeria and took him around the world as a player, scout and executive, culminating in 2019 when he served as the architect of a Toronto Raptors team that became the first franchise outside the United States to be crowned NBA champions. Ultimately, he believes his work with Giants of Africa will prove to be the most meaningful and rewarding of his life.
https://GiantsOfAfrica.org/
Partners:
Giants of Africa Festival 2025 would like to express its gratitude to all sponsors and partners who have contributed to making this event possible:
● The Lake Family's All One Fund
● RwandAir
● ALX Africa
● Kensington
● Sport Court International, LLC
● BK Arena
● DHL Express Canada
● Imbuto Foundation
● Ministry of Sports
● Visit Rwanda
● Volkswagen Move
● Zaria Court
● Bralirwa PLC
● Toronto Raptors
● Marriott
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Zawya
5 hours ago
- Zawya
Orange supports the 2025 Women's Africa Cup of Nations and affirms its commitment to inclusion and the visibility of women in African football
As an official partner of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Orange Africa and Middle East (OMEA) ( reaffirms its commitment to a more inclusive, equitable, and connected African football through its celebration of the TotalEnergies 2025 Women's Africa Cup of Nations, taking place from July 5 to 26 in Morocco. Women's football is experiencing remarkable growth in Africa, with over 83 million viewers during the last edition of the competition. This year, the Women's Africa Cup of Nations held in five cities across Morocco marks a new milestone in the visibility of women's football in Africa. Among the 12 participating countries, six from the Orange network have qualified and are represented this year (Morocco, Mali, Senegal, Tunisia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Botswana), demonstrating the increasing momentum of women's football that the company actively supports. Since 2018, Orange has implemented the 50/50 rule in its sports sponsorship actions to ensure equal representation between men's and women's disciplines. This principle is reflected on the ground through support for women's national teams, as well as local initiatives such as training young girls in clubs, working with high-profile ambassadors such Fatima Tagnaout, a Moroccan international footballer, and creating content that celebrates women's careers in sport. To promote the sport and further enhance the visibility of women in football, Orange Morocco also launched the "Broadcast Cafés" initiative, equipping cafés across the country to broadcast the WAFCON and encourage social engagement around the tournament. Indeed, according to a recent study*, 80% of Moroccans have watched women's football on television, but 31% face difficulties finding ways to watch the matches. A historic partner of the CAF since 2008, Orange renewed its commitment to the development of African football in December 2023, notably through its initiatives during major CAF competitions. Beyond its technical expertise and contributions to connectivity, Orange also implements various actions aimed at promoting gender equality and inclusion. This partnership strengthens Orange's strategy, which leverages sport to encourage equality, support digital education for youth, and ensure reliable connectivity across Africa. To enhance the visibility of the Group's commitment during this tournament, several media campaigns have been produced. A pan-African campaign ( will be broadcast across all participating Orange countries, while another will be aired locally in Morocco ( Yasser Shaker, CEO of Orange Middle East and Africa, said: "Being a partner of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations is much more than a sports commitment: in its role as a responsible operator in Africa, it is a way to support countries in positive societal dynamics. Sport, and in particular women's football, is a powerful lever for national pride, inclusion and freedom." Caroline Guillaumin, Executive Vice President of Communications at Orange, said: "This partnership is built to send out a strong signal demonstrating a concrete commitment to greater equity in sport. The 2025 Women's Africa Cup of Nations is an opportunity to highlight the careers of inspiring women, both on and off the field, and to amplify their voices through our content and local initiatives." * Orange/ Two Circles, 'Harnessing the power of women's football' Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Orange Middle East and Africa. Press contacts: Tom Wright Stella Fumey Follow us on: Twitter: @ orangegrouppr ( About Orange: Orange is one of the world's leading telecommunications operators with revenues of 40.3 billion euros in 2024 and 127,000 employees worldwide at 31 December 2024, including 71,000 employees in France. The Group has a total customer base of 291 million customers worldwide at 31 December 2024, including 253 million mobile customers and 22 million fixed broadband customers. These figures account for the deconsolidation of certain activities in Spain following the creation of MASORANGE. The Group is present in 26 countries (including non-consolidated countries). Orange is also a leading provider of global IT and telecommunication services to multinational companies under the brand Orange Business. In February 2023, the Group presented its strategic plan "Lead the Future", built on a new business model and guided by responsibility and efficiency. "Lead the Future" capitalizes on network excellence to reinforce Orange's leadership in service quality. Orange is listed on Euronext Paris (symbol ORA). For more information on the internet and on your mobile: and the Orange News app. Orange and any other Orange product or service names included in this material are trademarks of Orange or Orange Brand Services Limited. About Orange Africa and the Middle East (OMEA): Orange is present in 18 countries across Africa and the Middle East, serving over 161 million customers as of 31 December 2024. With a revenue of 7.7 billion euros in 2024, Orange MEA is the Group's leading growth region. Orange Money, its money transfer and financial services offer, is available in 17 countries and has more than 100 million customers. As a multi-service operator and a key partner in digital transformation, Orange brings its expertise to support the development of new digital services in Africa and the Middle East.
The National
a day ago
- The National
Rugby World Cup qualifying: UAE claim Sri Lanka scalp to move closer to Asia-Africa play-off
The UAE have done their bit, and in some style, too, with a 29-21 victory in Sri Lanka. Now they need Hong Kong to do them a favour on Saturday, and their Rugby World Cup qualification adventure will continue. Jack Stapley scored two tries, and Sakiusa Naisau and Brad Janes one apiece, as the national team claimed a bonus-point win in Colombo. It means that South Korea need to upset the formbook and beat the five-time defending champions Hong Kong to deprive the UAE of second place in the 2025 Asia Rugby Championship. If the UAE do finish runners-up, they will head to Uganda later this month for a play-off against the second-best side in the equivalent competition in Africa. The Africa Cup starts this weekend in Kampala. Namibia are favourites to win the competition, which also involves Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda, Ivory Coast, Algeria, Morocco and Senegal. The winners of the play-off will advance to the four-team event in November which will decide the final qualifier for the 2027 World Cup. Andrew Semple, the UAE captain, said his side are glad to still be in with a shot. 'We started very well, but let things slip as the game went on, and it ebbed and flowed,' he said after the win in Colombo. 'We are not very happy with our overall performance. It was a bit under par but we are just happy that we came away with a win and can move on in the tournament.' The UAE were giving away three places in the World Rugby rankings to their host, but travelled to Sri Lanka full of confidence. Jacques Benade, the UAE coach, had said the national team would look to put their hosts under pressure via their extra power in the forward pack. The UAE's tight-five combined weighed more than the entire eight-man pack of Sri Lanka, and they made advantage of it from the start. Stapley got his first after some irresistible mauling by the UAE pack, before Janes went over to send the tourists into a 12-3 lead. It seemed as if the home side were powerless to hold back the UAE forwards, but Sri Lanka had suggested they had a plan. 'They seem to be big, but we have come up with a gameplan which we hope can counter them,"Tharinda Ratwatte, Sri Lanka's captain, said in an interview ahead of kick-off. Ratwatte – and in particular his unerring boot – was at the centre of their fightback. They scored tries, either side of a third for the UAE by Naisau, to reduce the arrears to 22-21. At that point, the home side were in the ascendancy, and they had two kickable penalties to take the lead. For the second time in two matches, though, the UAE profited from their opposition's reticence at kicking for the posts. Ratwatte had been having an outstanding game till that point, but passed up two chances to kick for three points in quick succession. It felt similar to the closing throes of the UAE's comeback win in Incheon two weeks earlier. The UAE defended their line, and when Stapley later went through for their fourth try, victory – and likely second place – was theirs. 'We lost a bit of focus and lost a bit at the set piece,' Semple said. 'It was a case of resetting and doing what we knew we are good at: carrying ball, getting back to the scrum, and winning lineout ball. 'Sri Lanka stayed in the game, even though we got a little bit ahead. They fought back, credit to them, but we just managed to come away with it in the end.'
Campaign ME
2 days ago
- Campaign ME
Kia Middle East releases five-part docu-series to launch its Kia Tasman
Kia Middle East and Africa has released a cinematic, road trip docu-series titled Tribes of Arabia, to mark the regional launch of the Kia Tasman. The five-part docu-series merges cultural discovery with automotive adventure in an effort to showcase the rugged performance, cutting-edge technology, and bold design of Kia's first-ever mid-size pickup truck. From the mountains of Ras Al Khaimah to the historic lands of Basra, Iraq, passing through Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, Tribes of Arabia takes viewers off the beaten path to connect with the region's most enduring communities: its tribes. Through first-hand encounters, the series explores their traditions, rituals, and way of life, highlighting a rich cultural heritage shaped by both history and modernity. 'Tribes of Arabia is a first-of-its-kind cultural project, not just for Kia, but for the entire automotive industry in our region.' said Jimmy Chamata, Head of Marketing at Kia Middle East and Africa. Spanning vast deserts, towering mountains, and remote villages, the series follows three main characters, including automotive influencers and content creators Eisa Alhabib, Abdulaziz Alfudhaili, and Hamed AlDaour as they engage with each tribe, uncovering their unique stories, craftsmanship, and deep-rooted ties to the land. Each episode offers an intimate look at a different tribe and the legacy they continue to uphold. 'We're telling a story that's deeply rooted in culture, resilience, and identity, and we are proud to authentically capture the rich tribal spirit of the Arabian Peninsula. At the heart of this journey is the Kia Tasman, our boldest statement yet,' Chamata said on the docu-series. 'More than just an ordinary pickup, the Tasman represents a new kind of mobility: one that moves effortlessly between work and adventure, modernity and heritage, challenge and comfort. It's designed for those who live life to the fullest.' Tribes of Arabia follows the Kia Tasman across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iraq to connect with five remarkable tribes and their living legacies. 'With its advanced safety features, smart technology, bold design and power that you can rely on, the Tasman is creating a new culture around what a pickup can be. And Tribes of Arabia is the perfect stage to introduce that vision to the region, and the world,' Chamata said. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kia Middle East & Africa (@kia_mea) In a journey across the Middle East, the Tasman can be seen tackling mountains, cities, deserts and wetlands—meeting tribes from the Shihuh to the Marsh Arabs. From rocky trails to urban roads and muddy marshes, each terrain highlighted the Tasman's capability, switching seamlessly between Rock, Urban, Desert and Mud driving modes. The docu-series was crafted to capture the multi-dimensional nature of the Kia Tasman, which is designed for both work and adventure to push boundaries on weekdays while escaping them on the weekends. The campaign was brought to life by Innocean MEA in collaboration with McCann Content Studios and directed by Neel Kumar.
