Giants of Africa: two decades of basketball camps across the continent

Giants of Africa was founded in 2003 by Masai Ujiri, the Nigerian-born basketball executive. It uses basketball to educate and empower young people across the continent.

What it does

• Camps: over its first twenty years, the organisation reported more than 80 camps teaching over 40,000 boys and girls in 17 African countries.
• The festival: the Giants of Africa Festival brings young players from across the continent together. In July 2025 it returned to Kigali, Rwanda, with 320 boys and girls from 20 nations playing in 40 teams.
• Courts: the organisation builds courts in communities. The 2025 festival marked the opening of Zaria Court Kigali.
• Beyond the game: its programmes also focus on education, women's empowerment and leadership.

Why it matters for young athletes

Camps like these are where scouts, coaches and federations see talent early. For many players, a camp is the first time they're coached at a high level and measured against the best of their age.