Zaria Group, led by former Toronto Raptors executive Masai Ujiri, has opened its first sports-themed hotel in Kigali, Rwanda, with backing from African private equity firm Helios Investment Partners, according to a report by Semafor. 

The $26m property, Zaria Court, is designed as a template for a planned chain of hotels and sports venues across Africa.

The Kigali site features 80 rooms, a 2,000-seat arena for basketball and concerts, two five-a-side football pitches, a gym and wellness centre, a sports bar, and a playground park. Rwanda’s government supported the project by providing land, with President Paul Kagame and Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote attending the July opening.

Zaria Group plans to build at least four more properties in cities including Johannesburg, Lagos, Nairobi, Accra, and Abidjan to address the shortage of professional sports arenas across the continent. “We lack arenas on the continent… sports is suffering,” Ujiri said, highlighting the untapped market for sports and entertainment infrastructure.

Africa’s hotel market is expanding rapidly, with 59 international chain hotels opening in 2024 and over 570 projects in development this year, according to W Hospitality Group. Rwanda’s tourism industry, which contributed $1.3bn to the economy in 2024, is forecast to grow 13% this year, bolstered by sports events such as the Basketball Africa League and a potential Formula 1 Grand Prix.

While Rwanda provided strong political backing, Ujiri anticipates more complex negotiations in other countries and may seek increased private funding to replicate the model elsewhere.

If you think we missed any important news, please do not hesitate to contact us at news@pe-insights.com.

Can`t stop reading? Read more.