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Nigerian singer Ayra Starr, NBA Champion Kawhi Leonard to feature at 2025 Giants of Africa Festival

By Oluwatobiloba Zeal-Adepetu Kumoye
...Festival to be a weeklong celebration of basketball, entertainment, culture and community
By Pius Ayinor Maxwell Kumoye 
  
 
  
Nigerian pop sensation Ayra Starr has just been announced as a performer at the Closing Concert of the 2025 Giants of Africa Festival joining a powerhouse lineup that includes Afrobeats stars Kizz Daniel and Timaya. 
 
Giants of Africa, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering African youth through basketball, alongside its founder Masai Ujiri, have announced additional talent for talent showpiece scheduled to in Kigali, the Rwandan capital from the 26th of July to the 2nd of August, 2025.
  
Rwandan artist Alyn Sano is also among the elite list of performers at the festival’s inaugural Threads of Africa Fashion Show on July 31.
 
Launching a week of unforgettable music moments, the festival’s exhilarating Opening Show on July 27 will feature performances by South African DJ phenomenon Uncle Waffles, MTV VMA-winning choreographer Sherrie Silver.
  
Rwandan stars Kevin Kade, Ruti Joël, Boukuru and Chriss Easy will thrill the basketball fans and enthusiasts at the opening weekend.

Two-time NBA champion Kawhi Leonard has also been added to the Giants of Africa Festival 2025’s all-star lineup. 
 
The L.A. Clippers forward will mentor youth campers, open a new basketball court in partnership with Giants of Africa at St. Ignatius School, and host a special clinic for 50 local youth at Club Rafiki in one of Kigali’s most underserved districts.
 
Also on the list of high-profile celebrities selected to breathe life and the festive spark to the event include Robin Roberts, Chiney Ogwumike, Didier Drogba, Michael Blackson, Boris Kodjoe, and more.

The festival which is returning to the vibrant city of Kigali is set to bring together 320 young athletes from 20 African nations, and more than 20,000 spectators for a week of community, culture, basketball, education, and entertainment.
 
Initiator and Host Masai Ujiri, recently appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show and Good Morning America to discuss how the festival unites communities, spark potential, and drive transformative change across the continent.

Since 2003, Giants of Africa Foundation has empowered youth through basketball, hosting camps and building courts across the continent.
 
The foundation not only teaches game fundamentals, but 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.

Giants of Africa Festival 2025 follows the inaugural Giants of Africa Festival which took place in Kigali in 2023 in celebration of the non-profit’s 20th anniversary. 
 
The event united over 250 youth basketball players from 16 African nations, drew in over 14,000 spectators, and saw an estimated $1.5M invested into Kigali’s local economy. 
 
The festival culminated in a closing concert featuring performances from Afrobeats icon Davido, Queen of Afrobeats Tiwa Savage, Rwanda’s own Bruce Melodie, and South African superstar Tyla. 
 
It was a beacon of unity, inspiration, and transformation that ignited the continent. Building upon their bold ambitions, Masai Ujiri and Giants of Africa are poised to make an even more powerful statement in 2025.

Tickets for Giants of Africa Festival 2025’s Opening Show and Closing Concert are already on sale. 
 
For more information about the festival, its other initiatives and to purchase tickets or VIP and corporate packages, please visit www.GOAFestival.org or email info@giantsofafrica.org.

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