By Adonis Byemelwa
Africa’s sports and entertainment economy has officially entered a new phase of development on 15th May, 2026. The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector affiliate of the World Bank Group, and Zaria Group, a pan-African enterprise co-founded by Masai Ujiri, NBA champion and Dallas Mavericks executive, formally announced the establishment of an in-depth partnership in Kigali, Rwanda.
The two parties plan to jointly build a large-scale industrial project for a sports and entertainment district covering major African cities. The core of this collaboration is an industrial platform that integrates financing, development, and operation.
The first phase of the project will launch in Kigali and Nairobi, before being gradually expanded to other African capital cities. Its core goal is to turn Africa’s thriving creative industries into a long-term engine that boosts employment, attracts investment, and drives urban transformation.
At the official announcement event, the IFC reaffirmed its longstanding stance of promoting the creative industries’ shift from a marginal segment of the economy to a core pillar of regional development.
“Africa’s creative industries are emerging as major engines of jobs, skills, and inclusion,” IFC Managing Director Makhtar Diop said. “Sectors such as sports and entertainment already employ millions worldwide and provide accessible entry points into the formal economy, especially for young people and women.”
Zaria Group previously operated three flagship sports facilities in Kigali: Rwanda’s BK Arena, Amahoro Stadium, and the Zaria Arena within Kigali Sports City. A few weeks before this partnership was announced, the group had just signed a long-term lease with Kenya Railways Corporation to launch development of the Nairobi Arena, a project that will become East Africa’s flagship sports destination.
As disclosed, the single Nairobi project will create roughly 3,500 construction jobs, 1,500 permanent jobs, and 25,000 temporary event-related positions. The planned entertainment district will also function as a local hub for commerce, tourism, culture, and entrepreneurship.
Kenyan officials explicitly stated that this project fully aligns with the core directions outlined in the country’s Vision 2030, which prioritises tourism development, urban renewal, and infrastructure-driven growth.
Ujiri noted that the project holds dual value by advancing both Africa’s economic sovereignty and the development of its sports industry, pointing out that while Africa’s global cultural influence continues to rise, the continent lacks supporting infrastructure to unlock the economic value of its local talent.
“The sports and entertainment economy in Africa is booming, but we need the infrastructure to match,” Ujiri said. “When you build the right foundation with the right partners, extraordinary things happen.”
“These districts will generate thousands of jobs, empower local businesses, and become hubs where African culture and talent thrive,” he added.
Governments and investors across multiple African countries are positioning sports, culture, and entertainment as a new track for economic diversification, moving beyond dependence on traditional bulk commodities.
Third-party analysts note that venue-driven development aligns with the global trend of integrating sports infrastructure with ecosystems spanning real estate, hospitality, retail, and tourism.
Over the past decade, Kigali, Rwanda, has made continuous investments in conference facilities and sports infrastructure and built global partnerships to become Africa’s top-tier event destination and a continental hub for sports diplomacy and cultural and entertainment investment.
As an international development finance institution, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) recorded a record-setting $71.7 billion in global investment in its 2025 fiscal year; this strategic layout is part of its broader initiative to mobilise private capital into sectors overlooked by traditional development financing.
Today, as competition among African cities to secure investment, tourism resources, and global exposure intensifies, venue-driven development has emerged as a core symbol that enables Africa to independently monetise its young population, creative dynamism, and expanding consumer market.
Officials across African countries have also repositioned the creative economy, shifting its framing from a set of purely cultural projects to an asset class with tangible commercial value.
