BREAKING: Masai Ujiri unveils new vision for Africa through sports and culture

Toronto Raptors president and vice-chair and Giants of Africa co-founder, Masai Ujiri has created a hub for business, play, and entrepreneurship on the continent

Masai Ujiri has broken new grounds on his first urban development project with a focus on community, hospitality, sports and culture.

Intended as a hub for social and cultural community gatherings and a magnet for sports enthusiasts, influencers and Africa’s booming middle class, the first Zaria Court, located within Kigali’s lively sports and entertainment district, adjacent to the newly-built BK Arena and under-construction Amahoro National Stadium – is slated to open in early 2025.

“We know that sport provides individual opportunities for work, for play and for wellness. But this project also shows that sports can act as a catalyst for neighborhoods and for nations – jobs, businesses, and whole economies can benefit from the presence of these spaces,” Ujiri said. “We’re excited to launch Zaria Court from the heart of Kigali, where there is unlimited opportunity for youth, women and entrepreneurs, and where we have seen very successful international sporting events held. We’re looking forward to hosting Rwanda, Africa, and the world at Zaria Court Kigali.”

“We are really grateful that we have been able to work together on many things, including the Zaria

Court project and the whole ecosystem built around it. It doesn’t stop here, it spreads across Rwanda, the region and our continent,” said His Excellency Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda. “The potential is enormous, it is actually limitless. This kind of investment grows infrastructure, it grows economies, it contributes to tourism. The impact is much bigger than what the eyes can see.”

The project in Kigali is the first Zaria Court on the continent and is centered around an urban hospitality hub which reuses existing buildings and features an 80-room boutique hotel, restaurants, a rooftop lounge, a gym, wellness spaces, co-working spaces and a podcast studio. At the heart of the site is a multi-purpose court, which will serve as a space for sporting events, festivals, performances, markets and other events.

Zaria Court Kigali includes a vibrant retail area which will adapt to the needs of the neighborhood and visitors. Shipping containers will be re-purposed into shops and other businesses, creating an environmentally sustainable retail space serving as an incubation hub, targeted at women-owned businesses and young local entrepreneurs.

The goal is to develop Zaria Courts across the continent in booming cities, with initial target markets to include Accra, Ghana; Lagos, Nigeria; Dakar, Senegal; Johannesburg, South Africa; and Nairobi, Kenya.