At a Glance
- Silverbacks plans African NBA franchise, boosting sports and entertainment investments continent-wide.
- Recent 10th exit with Flutterwave-backed Mono fuels expansion into basketball and sports-tech.
- Hollywood and South African advisors strengthen Silverbacks’ African sports platform globally.
Silverbacks Holdings, a Mauritius-based private investment firm led by Senegalese financier Ibrahim Sagna is in talks to acquire an NBA Africa League franchise, marking a major expansion into the continent’s growing sports market.
The firm, which recently completed its tenth profitable exit with Nigerian fintech Mono, plans to leverage its sports portfolio, including stakes in the Cape Town Tigers and African Warriors Fighting Championship, to build a premier platform connecting African sports and entertainment globally.
Silverbacks moves to acquire NBA Africa franchise
The firm has secured fresh capital and high-profile backing for its sports portfolio, bringing on board Hollywood actor Boris Kodjoe and South African TV producer Pepsi Pokane as advisors.
The Silverbacks sports platform spans basketball, combat sports, and sports technology, including the African Warriors Fighting Championship (AWFC) and sports-tech innovator NERGii. Sagna said the firm is building a premier platform for African sports and entertainment to connect globally.
Hollywood, African advisors join Silverbacks sports platform
Kodjoe emphasized the economic and cultural potential of sports, noting that Silverbacks’ platform could transform how African sports content and intellectual property are created and consumed. Pokane echoed this, highlighting the firm’s blend of premier teams and technology as a “game-changing convergence” for African sports.
Silverbacks eyes permanent franchises in Basketball Africa League
Founded in 2019, Silverbacks manages roughly $100 million in assets, including a major stake in African ride-hailing startup Moove, and has delivered an average eight times cash multiple across ten exits to date. Sagna said investors, mostly family offices, are being encouraged to participate across sectors including tech, sports, fashion, and entertainment.
The NBA sees the franchise expansion as a way to attract investors who bring both capital and expertise, while creating permanent infrastructure and revenue models on the continent.
With Africa’s youthful population and growing global prominence of its athletes, Silverbacks’ push into BAL franchises positions it to play a leading role in the continent’s emerging sports economy.
