The Basketball Africa League (BAL) returns for its 2026 season with exciting changes and developments. Since 2019 the NBA-linked basketball league has broadly expanded across Africa while South Africa now hosts the playoffs and finals after Rwanda lost this privilege. Morocco becomes a new host country and Egypt withdraws as a host nation. From April through June 2026 twelve teams from three conferences play in the Basketball Africa League with tournament games taking place in Pretoria.
Tournament Schedule
BAL 2026 Tournament Schedule
| Conference | Location | Dates |
| Kalahari Conference | Rabat, Morocco | April 5-13, 2026 |
| Sahara Conference | Dakar, Senegal | April 26 – May 4, 2026 |
| Nile Conference | Kigali, Rwanda | May 17-25, 2026 |
| Playoffs and Finals | Pretoria, South Africa | June 6-14, 2026 |
Conference Teams
BAL 2026 Conference Teams
Kalahari Conference
| Team | Country | Status |
| Rivers Hoopers | Nigeria | Returning |
| FUS Rabat | Morocco | Host |
| Stade Malien | Mali | Returning |
| Al Ittihad | Egypt | Returning |
Sahara Conference
| Team | Country | Status |
| Petro de Luanda | Angola | Defending Champion (2024) |
| US Monastir | Tunisia | Former Champion (2022) |
| ASC Ville de Dakar | Senegal | Host |
| Kriol Star | Cape Verde | Returning |
Nile Conference
| Team | Country | Status |
| APR | Rwanda | Host |
| Nairobi City Thunder | Kenya | Debutant |
| MBB | South Africa | Debutant |
| Al Ahly Tripoli | Libya | Debutant |
