The Basketball Africa League (BAL) today announced the league’s roster of marketing and merchandising partners for the 2025 BAL Playoffs that are underway now at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria, South Africa, and will culminate with the 2025 BAL Finals on Saturday, June 14 at 4:00 p.m. CAT.
The new partners – Energade, Hyundai and Uber – are engaging fans in South Africa throughout the Playoffs and Finals and join the BAL’s existing partner roster that features Foundational Partners Rwanda Development Board, NIKE, Jordan Brand and Wilson, as well as marketing partners Afreximbank, Castle Lite, Hennessy, RwandAir and ServiceNow.
The 2025 BAL Playoffs, which are being held in South Africa for the first time, have featured the top eight teams from the three conference group phases that were held in Rabat, Morocco; Dakar, Senegal; and Kigali, Rwanda in April and May. The semifinals will take place tomorrow, Wednesday, June 11 when Al Ahli Tripoli (Libya) takes on APR (Rwanda) at 4:00 p.m. CAT and Al Ittihad (Egypt) plays Petro de Luanda (Angola) at 7:00 p.m. CAT. Tickets are on sale now at BAL.NBA.com and Ticketmaster.co.za.
Below are highlights of the partner activations throughout the BAL Playoffs and Finals:
Energade
- As the Official Sports Drink Partner of the BAL Finals, Energade is hosting fan engagement activities in the BAL Fan Zone outside of the SunBet Arena where fans can stay active and hydrated.
Hyundai
- As an Associate Partner of the BAL Playoffs and Finals, Hyundai is featured prominently with vehicle displays in the BAL Fan Zone and at the arena entrance. Fans engaging with the brand have the opportunity to win Hyundai and BAL merchandise and prizes.
Uber
- Through the BAL‘s collaboration with Uber Eats, fans can conveniently order food from in-arena vendors right from their seats, with pickup available at a dedicated area on the concourse.
- Uber renamed the arena drop-off location in the Uber Rides App to “SunBet Arena – Home of the BAL Finals.” The App also features BAL promotions offering fans discounted tickets to the Playoffs and Finals.
Afreximbank
- As an Official Partner of the BAL, Afreximbank is supporting the off-court development of BAL players through BAL Advance, providing targeted training in areas such as nutrition, mental health, and financial literacy.
- Afreximbank is helping promote African creative talent by supporting emerging designers and showcasing their work through industry networking events organized by the league and at merchandise stands in the BAL Fan Zone.
Castle Lite
- Castle Lite, the Official Beer Partner of the BAL, is engaging fans through a range of on-court and in-arena experiences.
Hennessy
- Hennessy, the Official Spirit of the BAL, is engaging fans with a premium courtside experience at The Hennessy Lounge. The Hennessy Lounge is also hosting the brand’s guests, including celebrities and influencers.
NIKE
- Three-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson is gifting gift pairs of her newly launched NIKE A’One sneakers to the girls participating in the BAL4Her U–23 camp that is being held in conjunction with the Playoffs and Finals, marking the first time her shoes are being distributed in Africa. The camp is taking place from June 9–14, with former WNBA player Edniesha Curry returning as camp director for the second consecutive year.
Africa Fact: Evidence discovered in 1978 showed that East Africans were making steel for more than 1,500 years: “Assistant Professor of Anthropology Peter Schmidt and Professor of Engineering Donald H. Avery have found as long as 2,000 years ago Africans living on the western shores of Lake Victoria had produced carbon steel in preheated forced draft furnaces, a method that was technologically more sophisticated than any developed in Europe until the mid-nineteenth century.”
Sherm
The longest cricket match occurred in 1939 between South Africa and England. The game lasted for 14 days and ended in a draw.
Dez Bonbon
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