BAL6: How Africa Can Turn Sports Into Big Business | Fireside Chat with President Kagame

Añadido: 2026-05-24

[00:00:02]Thank you sir. Good to see you. Good to see you.

[00:00:06]Before we start, Arsenal.

[00:00:14]>> How are you feeling?

[00:00:15]>> Yes. Feeling good.

[00:00:16]>> You're feeling good. You're feeling good. You know, you saw this early.

[00:00:20]>> I saw it coming.

[00:00:21]>> You saw it coming.

[00:00:23]What did you see? Take us through this journey. And it and it's been sport generally. It's even been in you understanding the importance of the ecosystem outside of Africa to draw people into Africa. Number one, and then of course you've done everything you've done here in Rwanda. What did you see and why was it important?

[00:00:42]Well, first of all, sports of different kind um is um important in in as far as uh uh it attracts people.

[00:00:58]People feel good about it. They are part of it.

[00:01:02]The talent is drawn into all that. And then it goes wider into a society that benefits from it. Now you can see how sports is not just about talent and how it plays out. It's also uh growing in a much wider sense that it requires investment to develop that talent far and wide. And then it benefits also those who invest their money and their time.

[00:01:40]>> So Rwanda has been a host um primary host location for BAL for quite a while now. As we look forward and the investors are sitting in this room and they're asking themselves why should we why should we bank on this? Why should we lean in? What is the plan? What should they know about the strategy?

[00:02:01]Well, the strategy is such that it proves itself. We we we we thought about investing in this uh area of sports and uh associated areas.

[00:02:20]U in the end as time passes the benefits come out and the people see and so to speak there has been a proof of concept strategy itself that things invested in in this manner will definitely benefit uh talent, countries, societies.

[00:02:53]Uh so you need to start doing it and then people will see it and they understand what it means and they also find the connection with that >> right and it's everything from well-being sport actually young people having the vision getting into the sport it's a tourism it's and and and we've seen the example in the tour we did yesterday really showed us the ecosystem the power of the ecos system.

[00:03:24]>> It's really everything. It's it's also the consumer experience.

[00:03:32]>> You know, it attracts even people who originally were not so attracted to any sport will find other things around the sport that they connect with and they eventually may connect with the sport.

[00:03:53]So it's um a much broader uh thing that benefits society.

[00:04:03]It's part of life that we live in every day. You find events associated with that.

[00:04:12]There's entertainment, different things.

[00:04:17]All this is about uh what people come to enjoy in the end.

[00:04:24]>> You've been rallying other African presidents as well explaining the importance of this. What are they saying back to you?

[00:04:34]Well, it's not so much as said we started something here with the different partners a number of them who were you invited to stand to be recognized by the audience which is the right thing because they have we have not done it alone. We couldn't do it alone. Even the idea itself the origin of it came with the partnerships we have forged with the different people across the world.

[00:05:06]>> And um so when we invested as I said we wanted to first benefit from that ourselves.

[00:05:18]Second, we also wanted to tell our brothers and sisters across the continent by seeing what we are doing but more so by what is being generated from that they can also do it and maybe do it better. And above all, when countries come together, when leagues come together, when people come together, the benefits are multiplied by much bigger factor.

[00:05:53]You don't want to have such a good thing isolated in one region or one country and then another.

[00:06:02]So the more people that work together, come together, it forms a much, if you will, in business forms a much bigger market that makes sense of everything you are doing.

[00:06:18]>> Absolutely. The boats rise together, but also their economic value increases and the opportunity increases. Fantastic. I want to come to the floor and take maybe two to three questions or comments and I'm going to start. I see you uh Acha.

[00:06:31]You see your hand please. Uh if there's a mic over there and I see a hand at the back as well. We can take those two first.

[00:06:40]Thank you so much. Gentlemen standing right there.

[00:06:47]Please introduce yourself for the few who don't know you.

[00:06:50]>> Thank you. Thank you Julie. Good morning everybody and uh great to be here. Acha.

[00:06:54]I'm a senior partner and chairman of Mackenzie Africa. I I do have a question for you, your excellency, building on uh on on this last conversation you're having with Julie because as she said, you were clearly a visionary where you saw sort of the impact of sports not just as an engine of entertainment but as an engine of economic growth for your country. And I remember sort of 10 years ago, eight years ago when you started even with the deal with Arsenal, people questioned, did it make sense to spend that kind of money? Now, fast forward, I think we're all excited. You know, four of all four of the Champions League semi-final teams of visit Randa teams and I'm sure next weekend you want Arsenal to win, but whoever wins will be a visit randa team, right? And that's for me a huge impact for Randa, but not just Randa, but for Africa, right? And we've seen a few leaders starting to go down that path, but honestly, it's not enough, right? So you said part of what you wanted to do is use Randa as a showcase for other leaders. I would love to understand what else would it take for many more African leaders to one understand the importance of sports as an engine of economic growth but then more importantly two to do something about it.

[00:08:06]>> Thank you. Great question. Please questions. I I I really don't know much about that because it all depends on the choices people make about what they intend to do. I you cannot force upon anybody to do even if it is the right thing when they have not chosen to do so.

[00:08:30]But what we have always tried to do within this area of sports or any other areas, we have made a choice. We want to make progress and there are all these opportunities we can tap into. So we take our chance.

[00:08:50]Sometimes we take a risk but in the end when the benefits of the efforts have come out first of all we are happy we've benefit benefited through what we have done and the risks have taken but that also proves that whoever could maybe do a similar thing >> would benefit in the same way if they chose to do just that.

[00:09:22]>> Yeah.

[00:09:22]>> Or do it differently or do it better and and so on and so forth.

[00:09:27]So I'm not sure what one can do to uh make it more attractive or or a choice that people would take other than showing what is possible and what is beneficial like we are trying to do.

[00:09:50]Uh primarily it benefits us.

[00:09:54]uh if anybody chose to say look I'm going to try something like this or different but it is in that direction that you all want to go >> let me you know it's the the question asked is is loaded in a sense it's very important uh I quickly give you example which is bad in a sense of explaining what my limitation in terms of saying what people need to do to benefit. when we started our partnership through visit Rwanda with the different teams starting with us >> and when because I'm seeing this making a choice becomes political in a sense all right you know when we did that not only did some but these are minority they didn't understand this they even went ahead head actually to try and undermine it which became political.

[00:11:10]But but the the irony behind all this is that when somebody went out and said no you can't do this with Rwanda you know this Rwanda is like this and we are used to that don't worry about it we we take care of things so you can't do this with Rwanda when Rwanda is a bad you know name and so on and so forth when it didn't work for them.

[00:11:39]>> Mhm.

[00:11:40]>> They tried somewhere else to do exactly what Yes.

[00:11:45]>> They followed the example.

[00:11:46]>> Yes. They followed the example and tried somewhere else. something they were just so but even then for me I'm happy >> that even for that one who tried to undermine it in the end saw something in it attractive that means they changed their mind somehow >> yes >> and and saw that they were wrong so therefore other African leaders countries, groups or something to do anything like this that would benefit them has to be a choice.

[00:12:29]>> Yeah.

[00:12:30]>> And then there are examples from which to learn. All of us learn from one another. We we've learned things that have guided us to do what we are doing. And so it is in the doing and the success that actually we influence others to follow. You know, it reminds me of another African uh proverb that I just wrote down. The eyes that have seen the ocean cannot be satisfied by a mere lagoon. So you must show the ocean and then people follow. There was a hand at the back. There's a lady here. And then also I believe Mammo Mate, we're going to hear from you. We'll try and do as as much as possible. Our time is so tight.

[00:13:11]Yes, gentleman there who had his hand up and then this way to the lady in red.

[00:13:17]Thank you.

[00:13:19]Mike, please try again sir. Yes.

[00:13:24]>> Thank you your excellency Mr. Pagami.

[00:13:26]First of all, I just want to thank you for your amazing leadership and also to thank you on the behalf of all the African youth for being a great leader and a great example. My name is Buba Cas. I'm the founder and CEO of Greenright Africa here in Rwanda and my question for you is what's your advice to the African youth to focus on in the next 10 years? Thank you.

[00:13:49]>> Okay, thank you for that. Let's take let's take let's try and just take a couple more and then um the lady in red first please and then we'll try the young man and then Momo I'll come to you. I'm not sure where you're sitting.

[00:14:00]Thank you. Yes, please go ahead. Try Thank you so much. Uh thank you your excellency. Uh my name is Mamakimati.

[00:14:14]H I hail from the mountain kingdom of Lotu, the very snowy mountain and I send greetings also from the prime minister and the king. my I'm very passionate about Rwanda and I want to uh thank you so much for the example that you have set for Africa. What Rwanda has built is an epidome of what Africa desires to be. But my question my question is how did you get the people of Rwanda interested in wanting what's best for them according to your vision as their leader and for us sitting in this room to even buy into that same vision and want to continue as a small country lutu how do we mimic such uh an exemplary leadership and also a model that you've built that clearly is winning.

[00:15:15]>> Thank you. Thank you so much, gentlemen.

[00:15:16]Here. And is Mamo here anywhere?

[00:15:19]>> That is me.

[00:15:20]>> Oh, that is Thank you. Oh, mama. You say it so beautifully. You don't say it the way I say it. Wonderful. Thank you.

[00:15:26]Apologies. Thank you so much. Thank you.

[00:15:28]Thank you, gentlemen. Right there. Um, yes.

[00:15:31]>> Thank you very much. Uh, my name is Kenneth Holland Simmons uh from Kaiser Chiefs in South Africa. And my question is um based around a discussion that was had at the sports business forum in South Africa at the end of last year. We had discussed the importance of of quantifying the broader economic impact of sport and tracking those metrics similar to you know uh any other industry that that impacts uh countries. So for for me I wanted to ask how important do you see that quantification in uh helping illustrate and and demonstrate to to countries and leaders the impact of sport but as well as shifting the perception of sport from a recreation uh to a real economic driver.

[00:16:21]>> Fantastic. We'll take the last question first. Uh and also to say there is a socioeconomic impact study that's been done by BL that we will share at the end. But over to you on that you know the quantification of the impact of sport. How important is that to driving behavior change awareness and uh you know the investment that we need.

[00:16:42]>> Yeah it has a huge impact. First of all, there is a level of impacting this certain level of discipline in in people's ways of life and thinking. sport does that and um like in our case it brings people together when with our history tragic history I'll come to that even later how the tragedy has had a kind of silver lining in a sense um so you you you can people come together when teams uh formed that you know people hardly go into the grounds and know which which tribe which language which religion which this and then they become a team in fact that cascades into other areas. So it unifies sports necessarily unifies people.

[00:17:47]>> So that that is that is very important.

[00:17:49]So in this case for one that's case which we have seen a lot of benefits we can uh see how it has increased numbers in tourism.

[00:18:07]People want to come to Rwanda. People come for conferences. They come for indeed events like this. And when the competitions are happening uh people uh want to come and be part of that. So it certainly these activities are very attractive and you can easily quantify the benefits in many ways some tangible and others very intangible.

[00:18:37]Mhm. Let's come to the other two questions briefly and you know mamo and to the young man as well. We could go into that discussion you know on on Africa the message to young Africans and talk for all day but briefly what is your message um to the African youth and for mamo this you know how Lysoto and other countries can take this example and and take the vision that you've built. um what's the advice you'd give on how how we share visions and go in the same direction and maybe Africa needs that so so desperately right now.

[00:19:10]>> Yeah, start with the youth. I think the youth the message is simple from whatever stage think about how much you can invest in yourself and how you do that. depends on what you think you you are attracted to or the capacities you have or the talent you have. You always want to invest focus on how do you starting with you. You don't have to wait for somebody else to come and say you know I've seen this you must start feeling something in you that you can do to develop yourself and then work with others even for for their benefit as well. So the youth and in this process there is what is wrong and what is right. Even the youth have to identify what is right that they should be associated with that will benefit them or what's wrong that they should not associate with.

[00:20:18]>> So in that way the young people develop and their development is the development of society and country they belong to.

[00:20:28]So they must always see themselves as part of what they have to be and part of what they work to do.

[00:20:37]>> It doesn't always come, it should never primarily come from outside. Should start from inside the young people as individuals but also as a part of the society.

[00:20:49]>> Yes. About building a vision that others can follow. How do you do that?

[00:20:55]How do you build a vision? And I think the question from the s >> the way I understood it it's very important also uh in our case again for me it comes to choices you make it comes to mindset as well what do you really want to do for yourself and maybe with others.

[00:21:20]So in our case twofold you know we have had a tragic history that has brought a lot of lessons to us >> to the point that not I don't know of anybody in this country who would want to go back where we have been where we have been 30 years ago and it touched touched every family. It touched every individual to the point that I think many spend nights uh sleepless trying to think of how to improve themselves.

[00:22:07]And since touches many people, it's it's the whole country that goes to sleep thinking of what they need to do to improve ourselves.

[00:22:19]So but you can see that has come from the tragedy.

[00:22:25]>> But then that alone cannot shape a society or a country.

[00:22:31]You have to have also leaders at different levels who must have a sense of direction where they want to go. Uh for example, this country uh when we tried to together all of us in this country to lift it up from where it was uh we also learn the history before that the people of our country and I guess the number of other countries on our continent.

[00:23:08]Some people think Some parts of the world that are doing well uh owe them a living that they will come to them and help them whenever there is a need to be helped. The first thing has not been to say what can I do for myself to get help.

[00:23:35]So our case, our tragic history showed that um after all really nobody owes you anything.

[00:23:46]You are there for yourself.

[00:23:50]The others can come in later to support to help but you have to be there first and foremost for yourself.

[00:23:57]>> For yourself. For yourself.

[00:23:59]>> So if you remove uh this sense of thinking that there will always be somebody out there to come and help you. you know that's I don't mean anything negative but you find even in countries there is this thing NGOs you know so it's like oh no there is an NGO that will come and help so that already it means you're operating at 20% of your capacity if not less >> yes so but if you are saying you have it in you to try and do something then that NGO will be useful. It may be supporting you in that direction. So we have been helped by the tragic history that it woke us up to say what is this? Are we the people who should be like this?

[00:25:03]>> Why and why?

[00:25:05]Uh second it so it it really sort of generated a kind of rejection that we we can't we can't uh not be there for ourselves.

[00:25:23]>> Yeah. We have we have to start and then there are limitations in a sense but yes somebody will come and maybe give you a hand to lift you up but you have to be trying to lift yourself up first.

[00:25:41]>> So that mentality is turned into politics. It became a way of life of politics here in this country and we are not regretting it at all. Now that moves us really neatly back to the opportunity and how we see the opportunity and uh BAL, NBA and the structures around that have put together what is a sound foundation. We have the the the players who are you know have invested back on the continent again doing what they can sound foundation. We will have foreign investors come in and for any foreign investors who look at Africa if you do not see the opportunity you are blind because Africa in so many ways uh from everything from tech to sport is the frontier you need to be entering. But does this also give this franchise opportunity give African investors, local funds, the opport local people the opportunity to also be owners? And what message would you have for potential African investors related to this opportunity?

[00:26:47]>> Yeah, it it's actually just like what we have finished talking about this franchise model is a huge opportunity inevitably no question about it.

[00:27:01]So there will be therefore that opportunity will benefit more those who actually take a chance and invest and and because there are many examples to learn from that if you even take a risk in putting your money in this you are likely to benefit from it than lose your money. So it's up to the choices now again people to make the choice >> and and why would and and it should be the African leaders in a sense business and industry to be at the forefront to to make such investments but they can do it so they can do so with others from elsewhere in the world. They don't have to do it alone.

[00:28:03]But to expect that people will come from somewhere else far away to come and make these kinds of investments when you are you look like you're not interested.

[00:28:17]>> I think it it does a bit of injustice to to everything. So the African business leaders and we want them to be part of this. They need to look at it as their their chance to develop themselves and their continent and and and their businesses >> and but we want of course in in this kind of thing you can't discriminate you you you know put your hand forward to welcome whoever is coming in and >> from wherever who wants to connect with that which benefits you. So the leaders of our continent this is an opportunity and and in the same way even the political leaders should see it as an opportunity for development of their countries where there's these infrastructures we see and better if we work together so that we also don't develop infrastructure that you go and build a stadium in a place that is not reachable. I mean what would that mean? So that's why we need to work together at all levels. But I thank the NBA bar fib these are people we look up to to guide us to give us a sense of direction on this. We have already had examples in our case where we have tomorrow stadium, football stadium, the arena basketball, then we have the whole ecosystem and you have zary of course developed by one of us who puts on many hearts in this area.

[00:30:15]So Madu, Mark, Masai and the great people, other people here and somebody from Fiba. I want to say thank you and and we are going to be good partners.

[00:30:30]I promise you, you will not at any point feel you made a wrong move.

[00:30:39]So you are most welcome.

[00:30:41]>> Thank you. Thank you, your excellency.

[00:30:42]Thank you so much.

[00:30:44]All the best with Arsenal. Arsenal, I know there's another game coming. Just in 30 seconds, a final word for everyone as we wrap up this fireside chat. What's your final rallying call?

[00:30:55]>> Well, looking at this room and the people present here, I I'm I'm trying even to imagine what is on their minds as well. And I I think they are just making calculations of how they can make productive the next steps they're going to take in their different areas and um I'm just saying again as an example of our country if we have come from the you know I I have been telling our people here in our case we sunk to the lowest point ever a human being or a country has sunk to the lowest to the point that the only place we had to go was now up.

[00:31:55]So we've been going up. We don't want to stop. We want to keep going up.

[00:32:00]>> Wonderful.

[00:32:01]>> And and I'm sure the great people in this room want to go up. So, let's go up together.

[00:32:13]>> Let's go up together. Your Excellency, thank you so much. Thank you for your time. Thank you for your wisdom and for your leadership. Thank you. Thank you.

[00:32:21]Ladies and gentlemen, President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.