The Basketball Africa League (BAL) (https://BAL.NBA.com/) and MTN Rwandacell Plc (MTN Rwanda), a market leader in mobile telecommunications in Rwanda, today announced a collaboration that makes MTN Rwanda the Official Digital Partner of the 2024 BAL Playoffs and Finals. 

The collaboration will see MTN Rwanda enhance the digital experience for BAL fans throughout the Playoffs and Finals taking place this week at BK Arena in Kigali through promotions, sweepstakes, and access to Ayoba, an all-in-one free app developed by MTN that offers free instant messaging; voice and video calling; sports, fashion, food, and entertainment news; games; and other content.  MTN Rwanda customers will also have access to BAL content on Ayoba, including highlight packages and episodes of “BAL Daily,” (https://apo-opa.co/4dZB2Lu) a magazine program produced by the league featuring highlights of the games and surrounding events, interviews with players and coaches, and analysis from BAL commentators and other personalities.

“Our collaboration with MTN will bring Rwanda’s passionate Basketball Africa League fanbase even closer to the excitement of the BAL Playoffs and Finals,” said BAL President Amadou Gallo Fall.  “As a pan-African mobile telecommunications brand deeply rooted on the continent, MTN has been instrumental in providing enriched experiences for its customers in Africa.  We have a shared ambition to empowering communities, driving innovation, and building a sustainable ecosystem for long-term growth. We look forward to working together to extend this impact to BAL fans in Rwanda.”

“We are thrilled to work with the BAL as their official digital partner,” said MTN Rwanda CEO Officer Mapula Bodibe. “Our customers can look forward to an unforgettable showcase of talent. As a token of appreciation, we will be giving out free tickets to our valued customers, so keep an eye out on our social media platforms for the giveaway.  Additionally, BAL attendees will also receive a 35% discount when they pay for their tickets via MoMo. This collaboration reflects our commitment to supporting initiatives that unite communities and empower Rwandan youth, fostering national unity.”

MTN Rwanda joins the BAL’s roster of partners that also includes Foundational Partners Rwanda Development Board, NIKE, Jordan Brand, and Wilson, as well as marketing partners Afreximbank, Bank of Kigali, Castle Lite, Hennessy, and RwandAir.

The 2024 BAL Playoffs and Finals will continue on Wednesday, May 29 with two semifinals games.  In the first game, Rivers Hoopers (Nigeria) will take on Al Ahly Ly (Libya) at 5 p.m. CAT.  In the second game, Petro de Luanda (Angola) will face Cape Town Tigers (South Africa) at 8:00 p.m. CAT.  The complete game schedule is available at BAL.NBA.com and will culminate with the 2024 BAL Finals on June 1 at 4:00 p.m. CAT.  Tickets for the Playoffs and Finals are on sale now at BAL.NBA.com and Ticqet.rw.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Basketball Africa League (BAL).

Contact: 
Edwin Eselem
Basketball Africa League
+221 78 615 42 87
EEselem@thebal.com

Christina Mukundwa
MTN Rwanda
+250 78812097
christina.mukundwa@mtn.com

About the BAL: 
The Basketball Africa League (BAL), a partnership between the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and NBA Africa, is a professional league featuring 12 club teams from across Africa that tipped off its fourth season in March 2024.  Headquartered in Dakar, Senegal, the BAL builds on the foundation of club competitions FIBA Africa has organized across the continent and marks the NBA’s first collaboration to operate a league outside North America.  Fans can follow the BAL (@theBAL) on Facebook (https://apo-opa.co/4bSkC5F), Instagram (https://apo-opa.co/4dWzHVI), Threads (https://apo-opa.co/4bxjFzS), X (https://apo-opa.co/3R4JMGi), and YouTube (https://apo-opa.co/4dVF73f) and register their interest in receiving more information at https://BAL.NBA.com/.

About MTN Rwandacell Plc: 
MTN Rwandacell Plc (MTN Rwanda) is the market leader in mobile telecommunications in Rwanda. Since 1998, we have continuously invested in expanding and modernising our network and leading digital solutions for Rwanda’s progress. As the country’s No 1 network, we offer various services to subscribers, including innovative propositions such as personalised voice and data offers for individuals and corporates with a clear vision to lead the delivery of a bold, new digital world to our customers because we believe everyone deserves the benefits of a modern connected life.

NBA Africa (www.NBA.com) and Safaricom, the leading telecommunication company in East Africa, today announced a multiyear youth basketball development collaboration in Kenya that will reach more than 10,000 youth this year through regional and national Jr. NBA tournaments, coaching clinics, and an elite camp for top Kenyan prospects. The collaboration marks the league’s most expansive youth development programming in East Africa to date and makes Safaricom an Official Partner of the Jr. NBA in Kenya.  

Through the collaboration, NBA Africa and Safaricom will host four regional Jr. NBA tournaments across Kenya for boys and girls ages 16 and under, culminating with a 16-team national tournament later this year. The collaboration will also include Jr. NBA Fit clinics, life-skills seminars, coaching capacity building, and an elite basketball development camp for 100 of the top high-school-age players from across the country. Top prospects from the elite camp will have the opportunity to participate in NBA Africa’s other elite development initiatives on the continent.

“Our collaboration with Safaricom builds on the NBA’s ongoing efforts to grow basketball in Kenya and across the continent of Africa,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “We look forward to creating more opportunities for young people to engage in physical activity and learn the values inherent in sport.”

“For over two decades, we have supported Kenyan passion points including sports such as football, rugby and golf,” said Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa. “We have created numerous opportunities for our youth, providing them with a platform through which they can launch their sports careers. We do this because we are Kenya’s biggest supporter and are led by our purpose of transforming lives. We look forward to engaging with NBA Africa as we explore how to transform the lives of our basketball loving youth across the country.”

In November 2023, NBA Africa established a new subsidiary in Kenya, with an office located in Westlands, Nairobi. The NBA Kenya office supports all of the league’s business and basketball development initiatives in the country and is led by NBA Kenya Senior Director and Country Operations Lead Michael Finley. The office marks NBA Africa’s fifth office on the continent, joining Cairo, Egypt; Dakar, Senegal; Johannesburg, South Africa; and Lagos, Nigeria. 

Additional details about the Jr. NBA tournaments and elite camp will be announced at a later date.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of National Basketball Association (NBA).

Contact:
Pawel Weszka
NBA Africa Communications
pweszka@nba.com 
+27 10 0072666

Contact Safaricom:
​For enquiries, email prcomms@safaricom.co.ke
For news, please visit: https://apo-opa.co/4bA6nml  
For media-ready photos, visit: https://apo-opa.co/4bCI9rq  

About NBA Africa:
NBA Africa is an affiliate of the National Basketball Association (NBA), a global sports and media organization with the mission to inspire and connect people everywhere through the power of basketball.  NBA Africa conducts the league’s business in Africa, including the Basketball Africa League (BAL), and has opened subsidiary offices in Cairo, Egypt; Dakar, Senegal; Johannesburg, South Africa; Lagos, Nigeria; and Nairobi, Kenya.  The league’s efforts on the continent have focused on increasing access to basketball and the NBA through youth and elite development, social responsibility, media distribution, corporate partnerships, NBA Africa Games, NBA Stores, the BAL, and more. 

NBA games and programming are available in all 54 African countries, and the NBA has hosted three sold-out exhibition games on the continent since 2015.  The BAL, a partnership between the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and NBA Africa, is a professional league featuring 12 club teams from across Africa that tipped off its fourth season in March 2024.  Fans can follow @NBA_Africa and @theBAL on Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.

About Safaricom:
Safaricom is the leading telecommunication company in East Africa.  Our purpose is to transform lives by connecting people to people, people to opportunities, and people to information.  We keep over 45.9 million customers connected and play a critical role in the society, supporting over one million jobs both directly and indirectly while our total economic value was estimated at KES 393 billion ($3.1 billion) for the 12 months through March 2022.

Listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange and with annual revenues of close to KES 335.4 billion as of March 2024, Safaricom provides connectivity through wide range of technology, 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G in aggregate covering over 99% of Kenya’s population.

Safaricom is an equal opportunity employer, actively recruiting staff from different backgrounds reflecting the communities that we serve.  We are committed to equal gender representation at all levels. Our target is to achieve 50:50 senior management gender parity by 2025.

As part of our ongoing commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we continue to work towards improving energy and resource efficiency in our network and facilities to reduce carbon emissions and our fuel consumption.  We remain committed to becoming a Net Zero carbon-emitting company by 2050.

Algeria’s national oil company (NOC) Sonatrach and its Congolese counterpart Société Nationale des Pétroles du Congo (SNPC) continue to show a steadfast commitment to driving intra-African collaboration and partnership within the energy sector. Leveraging the strengths of both organizations to boost energy production, personnel training and refining capabilities within the region, their partnership is poised to contribute to the development of Africa’s oil and gas resources for enhanced energy security and economic growth.

On May 21, a high-level delegation from Sonatrach, led by CEO Rachid Hachichi, visited SNPC headquarters in the Republic of Congo’s capital city of Brazzaville. This strategic meeting marked a crucial step in fortifying the relationship between the two energy giants, with discussions focusing on several key areas of mutual interest that promise to bring significant benefits to both parties.

Partnerships among African energy producers will be a key focus area of this year’s African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energy 2024 conference, taking place from November 4-8 in Cape Town. Hachichi will lead a Sonatrach delegation at the event, which aims to catalyze collaboration and engagement with key stakeholders across Africa’s energy sector towards the common goal of increasing oil and gas production and eradicating energy poverty. Meanwhile, as the Republic of Congo seeks to ramp up oil production to 500,000 barrels per day and accelerate gas exploration and production activities, SNPC will showcase the country’s major investment opportunities, targeting gas monetization, improved infrastructure, clean technologies and the development of local talent.

Complemented by ongoing training initiatives initiated by SNPC and Sonatrach, the meeting provided an opportunity for the NOCs to discuss joint efforts in project financing, oil and gas infrastructure, regional markets, local content development, net-zero technologies, research and development and renewable energy collaboration. The meeting sought to ensure commercial, technical and technological collaboration in developing the two countries’ hydrocarbon resources, while supporting the exchange of research and development studies to optimize sector activities. The two parties also emphasized their commitment to facilitating data collection and the sharing of best practices, while supporting a wide range of capacity building initiatives.

The partnership also envisions establishing Sonatrach’s presence in the Republic of Congo through the launch of activities on new licensing permits. This strategic move will not only bolster Sonatrach’s footprint in the region, but also contribute to the development of the Republic of Congo’s upstream sector. The collaboration is expected to attract new investment and create job opportunities, thereby driving local content development and stimulating economic growth.

Finally, the visit served as a platform for the two entities to discuss recent market developments including updates to Congolaise de Raffinage, a refinery in Pointe-Noire that boasts a capacity of 600,000 tons of oil per year and covers 60-70% of the country’s refined petroleum product demand. The refinery recently underwent an overhaul of production units that served to modernize and increase its facilities and refining capacity.

https://apo-opa.co/3UYnRBJ

A critical aspect of the partnership between SNPC and Sonatrach is the sharing of Sonatrach’s extensive experience in the production, valorization and export of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Sonatrach, a global leader in LNG, will provide insights and best practices that can be adopted by SNPC to optimize its operations, as the Republic of Congo seeks to become a leading LNG exporter and key supplier to Europe.

This month’s visit by Sonatrach to Brazzaville comes on the heels of a high-level meeting between the two NOCs last year, which resulted in the signing of two Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs). Signed last July and August by Sonatrach CEO Toufik Hakkar and SNPC Managing Director Maixent Raoul Ominga, the MOUs laid the foundation for collaboration in the fields of exploration through to the marketing of hydrocarbons, with a view to maximizing the two countries’ hydrocarbon value chains. The pact sought to strengthen the development, transport, processing, distribution and supply of petroleum products, as well as the exchange of expertise, development of professional skills and training of SNPC personnel by Sonatrach.

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https://apo-opa.co/3wV2OYJ

These initiatives underscore the commitment of both Sonatrach and SNPC to the sustainable development of Africa’s energy resources. By leveraging their combined expertise, the two organizations aim to drive progress and innovation within the industry. The partnership represents a significant step forward in developing the continent’s diverse resource base and aligns with the AEW: Invest in African Energy conference’s commitment to fostering intra-African cooperation and achieving energy security.

“The strategy of SNPC and Sonatrach pays a lot of consideration to the role played by natural gas, which for the past five decades, has grown steadily, emerging as a critical energy source around the world. Africa will need it for industrialization and fighting energy poverty. Sonatrach is well advanced in gas monetization and sees the clear role that gas plays when it comes to the energy transition. It emits just half as much carbon dioxide as coal, and in many cases, it is cheaper than either coal or oil as a power source,” stated NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber.

“Demand for natural gas in Africa is expected to peak by 2035 and remain the preponderant source of energy generation well into the 2050s. For several African industries, gas is also likely to remain or grow as a fuel stock of choice, owing to its abundance and cost-effectiveness relative to other energy sources. SNPC and Sonatrach’s leadership are visionary in their thinking around intra-Africa energy trading. There is a huge market in Africa, and also an export market, which they are going to lead. SNPC’s Gas Master Plan provides world-class opportunities for investment and partnerships,” concluded Ayuk.

AEW: Invest in African Energy is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers and government, and has emerged as the official place to sign deals in African energy. Visit www.AECWeek.com for more information about this exciting event.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

GITEX (www.GITEXAfrica.com) is one of the most important technology exhibitions displaying a vast range of companies, brands and industry trends reflecting the current market dynamics. The move of ‘Office Products’ from Ambiente, formerly known as Paperworld Germany to Paperworld Middle East helps to increase demand, develop and motivate global trade. This is beneficial for businesses looking to adopt both innovation and growth to align with the current economic patterns.

As the leading British remanufacturer of ink and toners, DCI will exhibit at the show with KODAK-branded printer consumables for use with printers from HP, Canon, Epson and Samsung. KODAK, a legendary brand, globally known for its exceptional printing and excellent print performance assure their remanufactured printer consumables are produced in line with strict quality and page yield standards. DCI’s latest introduction to its sustainable printing supplies, ‘Refurbished Printers&Copiers’ will also make a special feature at the stand.

As budget constraints and sustainability efforts continue to increase pressure on office supplies and the need to adopt eco-practices within business, remanufactured cartridges and refurbished printers allow organisations to take the first step in reducing print costs and help develop corporate environmental awareness.

GITEX Africa offers an excellent opportunity to continue developing KODAK business and connect with both distribution partners and end users across the globe. We invite all the exhibitors and visitors from all industries to meet members from the KODAK remanufactured ink and toner team at the show who will be on hand to demonstrate the cost savings, print quality and after sales support.

The KODAK remanufactured printer consumables alongside DCI’s refurbished printers will be showcased on stand 6A-9 at GITEX Africa 2024.

KODAK range of Remanufactured Inks&Toners to exhibit at GITEX Africa 2024.
DCI’s latest introduction to its sustainable printing supplies, ‘Refurbished Printers&Copiers’ will also make a special feature at the stand.
Remanufactured cartridges and refurbished printers allow organisations to take the first step in reducing print costs and develop corporate environmental awareness.
GITEX Africa offers an excellent opportunity to continue developing KODAK business and connect with both distribution partners and end users across the globe.
The KODAK remanufactured printer consumables alongside DCI’s refurbished printers will be showcased on stand 6A-9 at GITEX Africa 2024.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of GITEX Africa.

For media enquiries please contact:
Email: shakila.miah@dci.co.uk
Telephone: +44 (0)1205 355 555

Contact us:
Email: sales@dci.co.uk
Call: +44 (0)1205 355 555
Website: www.DCI.co.uk

Dynamic Cassette International Ltd.
Marsh Lane,
Boston
Lincolnshire
PE21 7TX
United Kingdom

About KODAK:
KODAK is an iconic name in the world of photography and printing dating back to 1888 when the first KODAK camera was first launched. Through world-class R&D capabilities and innovative solutions we offer a wide range of products from photopaper, cameras and printers to industrial digital print technology designed to capture and preserve your memories. We provide – directly and through partnerships with other innovative companies – hardware, software, consumables and services to customers in graphic arts, commercial print, publishing, packaging, electronic displays, entertainment, commercial films, and consumer products markets. KODAK endeavour to create products designed to deliver vibrant colours, sharp details and exceptional image quality all whilst committed to sustainability.

For Kodak trademark, logo and trade dress are used under license from Eastman Kodak Company.

About Dynamic Cassette International Ltd.:
Dynamic Cassette International Ltd. (DCI Ltd), established in 1983 has grown to become one of the world’s leading remanufacturers of ink and toner cartridges. Specialising in UK quality, innovative R&D, ink formulation, packaging design and production all based at DCI’s purpose-built production facility in Boston, Lincolnshire. DCI has a number of collection arms including The Recycling Factory (TRF), collecting over 1 million used ink and toner cartridges per month. Expanding the eco-range, TRF now specialise in refurbished printer&copiers. Additionally, DCI’s house brand ‘Jet Tec’ is stocked by thousands of resellers across the UK, with Jet Tec GmbH servicing customers across Europe.