The sixth edition of the continental competition will feature 12 clubs from 12 African countries and a total of 42 games staged across South Africa, Morocco, and Rwanda, with the playoffs and finals set for Kigali from 22 to 31 May.
The season will open with the Kalahari Conference in Pretoria from 27 March to 5 April. The Sahara Conference will follow in Rabat, Morocco, from 24 April to 3 May. The top eight teams from the two conferences will advance to the knockout stage in the Rwandan capital.
In Pretoria, the opening day will see Libya’s Al Ahly Ly face Rwanda’s APR at 4pm, followed by hosts Johannesburg Giants against Tanzania’s Dar City at 7pm.
Other Kalahari Conference fixtures include Angola’s Petro de Luanda, Kenya’s Nairobi City Thunder, and further meetings between APR, Dar City, and Al Ahly Ly, culminating in the final group games on 5 April.
The Sahara Conference in Rabat will bring together Egypt’s Ahly, Tunisia’s Club Africain, Senegal’s ASC Ville de Dakar, Morocco’s FUS de Rabat, Côte d’Ivoire’s JCA Kings, and Nigeria’s Maktown Flyers.
Ahly will open their campaign on 25 April against Club Africain, before facing ASC Ville de Dakar, Maktown Flyers, JCA Kings, and FUS de Rabat in the Moroccan capital.
Tickets for the Kalahari Conference are available through Ticketmaster South Africa. Tickets for the Sahara Conference and the playoffs in Kigali will be released soon via the league’s official website. All ticket holders will receive complimentary access to the BAL Fan Zone at each venue.
Headquartered in Dakar, the BAL is a partnership between FIBA and NBA Africa and marks the NBA’s first collaboration to operate a professional league outside North America. The 2026 season introduces five new teams, including Tanzania’s first-ever representative in the competition.
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