Is playing in Africa financially beneficial?

Is playing in Africa financially beneficial in the long run?

Africa is known for producing many talents that are dazzling across the world and the emergence of exciting players such as Joel Embiid, Pascal Siakam, Bismark Biyombo and several others who have become household names in the NBA, WNBA, NBL, EuroLeague and so forth. However, we are starting to see more top players choosing to stay in Africa. While the fans are passionate and very supportive, the question many have been asking is whether it is financially beneficial for players to compete on the continent and whether it is sustainable in the long run?

 There are many countries that have well established leagues and there are more leagues that are becoming more and more stable. In a continent where football is the number one sport in most countries and infrastructure is limited, basketball has continued growing, becoming a more financially vibrant sport.

In 2019, NBA and FIBA announced a partnership to launch the Basketball Africa League (BAL). This meant that 12 countries would participate but this has fueled all 54 countries to make investments in basketball. These investments have visibly paid off and in South Africa, powerhouse club Cape Town Tigers have brought in a lot of foreign players and changed the landscape of basketball for local players. There has been a similar pattern in Burundi where clubs have splashed the cash, bringing in top talents and making the league very competitive. They have brought in the likes of Jean-Jacques Boissy, Samkhelo Cele, Bryton Hobbs, Nkosinathi Sibanyoni and more. Nkosinathi Sibanyoni who is the BAL rebounding record holder from South Africa has moved to Burundi where he plays for Urunani and he said the following since relocating to Bujumbura

" I have seen the change in my life financially and I’m only playing in Africa. So far, I have missed and saw good deals that can double if not triple you financially as a player "

Ariel Okall is a Kenyan forward who has spent most of his career on the continent. He has played in over 10 countries in Africa so he is in a good position to speak on this. He believes that one can make a good living playing on the continent. He adds that the only hindrance is that one does not get paid in the offseason. He says that contracts are usually for one or two seasons only and not more. This means that players often have to keep moving from country to country in order to continue getting paid in the offseason. He also mentions leaving Africa once or twice to “chase the bag” although he has made most of his money playing in Africa, specifically in Kenya (his home) and in the Democratic Republic of Congo where he has just won the championship with Chaux-Sports.

" We now see a lot of Americans playing in Africa. Europeans are also playing in Africa. This shows that things are getting much, much better." Ariel Okali

There are many leagues that are receiving some considerate cash investments and are able to attract good talent and pay well. This is evident in Kenya, Rwanda, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal and many other countries around Africa. Some North African countries pay an average of $800-1200 per month while there are many players earning as much as $3000 and more. This is really good as the cost of living is generally not high in these countries.

However, this is only one side of the coin. The other side is one where we see a massive drop in the quality of pay.

Women statistically earn less than men in various sports around the world and this is the case in Africa. In Egypt, for example, men are paid almost 10 times what women are paid. Hagar Amer, Egyptian captain, MVP and assistant lecturer at top Egyptian university said that it is very hard to be financially stable after retirement because salaries are barely coming through for women. Adding that some men are able to open restaurants and invest a little bit into their future but actually women are barely coming through. She believes that one way to close the pay gap is by marketing women more, broadcasting more of their games and that will lead to more sponsorship and more money. This is something we have seen work on the continent already. The pay gap is relatively close, yet the pay is still good. We see this in Mozambique, Rwanda and Angola to name a few countries. They market both leagues in the same way and the sponsorship money ensures that women are also paid well.

Hagar Amer:

I don't think playing in my country is considered financially rewarding compared to if I played abroad. I got offers that is triple or quadruple my salary to go play abroad... The average salary of women in basketball is way lower than men in general (see the NBA and WNBA)

This shows that playing in Africa can be beneficial in the long run in certain leagues or situations. There are various factors that can help accelerate and expand this across the continent. The biggest factor will be infrastructure. This is not just the state of the courts but also transport routes that will allow players and fans to travel easily across countries and the continent to grow the game and play the game. These success stories are becoming more and more prevalent in Africa, and it is only the beginning. There are also many job opportunities centered around basketball off the court and these are indicators that basketball can be a major contributor to the growth of the economy in Africa.

[Photography / Imagery Courtesy of FIBA, Big Tip Off and Ariel Okall]