NBA superstar Kawhi Leonard to grace the 2025 Giants of Africa Festival

Two-time NBA champion and multi-time all-star Kawhi Leonard has been added to this year's star-studded lineup for the Giants of Africa Festival 2025, which is scheduled for July 26th - August 2nd, 2025.

The LA Clippers forward will mentor youth campers, open a new basketball court at St. Ignatius School in partnership with Giants of Africa, and host a special clinic for 50 local youth at Club Rafiki in one of Kigali's underserved districts.

Klaw, the two-time Finals MVP, will be joined by a host of notable celebrity guests, including celebrated media personality Robin Roberts, two-time WNBA All-Star Chiney Ogwumike, football legend Didier Drogba, comedian Michael Blackson, actor Boris Kodjoe, and more.

As the organization continues to align itself as a basketball measurement tool, it will empower, inspire, and help the next generation dream big.

The annual festival returns to the vibrant city of Kigali, Rwanda, and is expected to bring together 320 young athletes from 20 African nations and more than 20,000 spectators for a week-long celebration of community, culture, basketball, and entertainment. 

Nigerian pop sensation Arya Starr will headline the stage on the festival's final day, August 2. She will join a powerhouse of performers that includes Afrobeats stars Kizz Daniel and Timaya and will also feature other notable entertainers who will bring the vibes during the festival.

Since 2003, Giants of Africa has empowered youth through basketball, hosting camps and building courts across the continent.

The foundation teaches game fundamentals and connects young people with inspirational mentors who show how determination, leadership, and integrity can transform dreams into reality.

Also central to their mission is basketball's unique power to transcend barriers and unite diverse communities.

The festival brings this vision to life with a weeklong youth basketball camp and tournament, uniting young men and women from Senegal, Nigeria, Cameroon, Mali, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Benin, Gabon, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, Tanzania, D.R. Congo, Somalia, Ethiopia, Morocco, Botswana, and South Africa.

Founder Masai Ujiri, recently the General Manager of the Toronto Raptors, appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show and Good Morning America to discuss how the festival unites communities, sparks potential, and drives transformative change across the continent.

Ujiri, the first African executive in North American sports history, drew inspiration from his unique basketball journey to start the Giants of Africa as a player and executive.

His goal was to uplift African youth with programs focused on empowerment and leadership.

The award-winning and barrier-breaking sports executive orchestrated the Raptors' road to their first chip in 2019, becoming the first franchise outside the US to be crowned NBA champions.

The Giants of Africa Festival 2025 follows the inaugural Giants of Africa Festival, which took place in Kigali in 2023 to celebrate the non-profit’s 20th anniversary.

The event united over 250 youth basketball players from 16 African nations, drew over 14,000 spectators, and invested an estimated $1.5M in Kigali’s local economy.

The festival culminated in a closing concert featuring performances from Afrobeats icon Davido, Queen of Afrobeats Tiwa Savage, Rwanda’s Bruce Melodie, and South African superstar Tyla.

A beacon of unity, inspiration, and transformation ignited the continent. Building upon their bold ambitions, Masai Ujiri and the Giants of Africa are poised to make an even more powerful statement in 2025.