Africa
NBA Africa and Hennessy to Host League’s First NBA Crossover Lifestyle Event on the Continent


NBA Africa and Hennessy, the world’s best-selling cognac, today announced that NBA Crossover, an invite-only lifestyle event that will showcase the convergence of the NBA and popular culture through the art, fashion, music and technology that surround today’s game, will take place in Africa for the first time on Saturday, Feb. 5 at Landmark Beach Front in Lagos, Nigeria.
As part of NBA Crossover, Africa’s first floating basketball court will be displayed at Ikoyi Link Bridge in Lagos from Feb. 3-5. In addition, on Feb. 5 Hennessy will be the Presenting Partner of a celebrity basketball game at Landmark Beach Front featuring Nigerian artists, performers and media personalities. NBA Africa and Hennessy will also donate a basketball court to the Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency at Ikorodu Recreational Park as part of their and Lagos State’s commitment to providing people in the state with access to sport.
“We at Hennessy are thrilled to partner with NBA Africa to create this unforgettable experience in Lagos. Nigeria is such an important market for both Hennessy and the NBA, and this event is something we’ve been looking forward to for some time,” said Hennessy President & CEO Laurent Boillot. “The NBA and Hennessy have made a huge impact on urban culture across the globe, and this partnership event in Lagos will again showcase that our collective influence moves far beyond the court. Over the past year, Hennessy has partnered with the NBA to showcase courts in iconic locations in Australia, China and the UK, and it is now time for Nigeria to enter the game.”
“We are thrilled to celebrate the NBA’s landmark 75th Anniversary Season with Hennessy in such iconic fashion,” said NBA Africa CEO Victor Williams. “Nigerian players have had tremendous impact on basketball and the NBA, and it is only fitting that we host our first NBA Crossover event on the continent in Lagos, where there is already tremendous talent and passion for the game.”
“NBA Africa is committed to the development of basketball in Nigeria, and this event, in addition to the opening of our office in Lagos, mark another milestone in our efforts to grow the game in the country,” said NBA Africa Vice President & Country Head of Nigeria, Gbemisola Abudu. “I look forward to NBA Crossover and to working with my colleagues to expand our engagement with Nigerian fans, partners and basketball stakeholders in the months and years to come.”
For more than 250 years, Hennessy has celebrated those who embody the “Never Stop. Never Settle” ethos that is personified by the NBA’s unwavering commitment to drive culture forward. Throughout the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Season, Hennessy will celebrate the tradition and mindset of basketball fans across Africa through a range of consumer events, activations and localized content.
Africa
Results: 2023 Northern Cape Online Championships

Even with load shedding causing frustration among both athletes and officials alike, Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) was able to still host a verys successful championship were all participants were able to compete and, most of all, have fun.
With the “competent” South African government stating that South Africa will have load shedding for the next two years, MSSA is already reviewing its policies in regard to load shedding and its online championships.
Load shedding has a huge impact on esports, and may end up causing online console and pc gaming to become elitist as only those who are substantially financially advantaged will be able to compete. It may also result in mobile esports becoming more popular.. A continuous and consistent electricity supply is vital to South Africa developing as a major esports nation.
Nevertheless, MSSA is more than happy with the results from the 2023 Northern Cape Championships.
There were no less than seven (7) provinces represented, and more importantly, there were more females participating since 2020. Of the 22 athletes who earned Provincial Colours, 7 of such athletes are females.
Special mention must be made of Karli Roodt (Middelburg Hoërskool) who is the first female champion in the esports title of Rocket League to earn Mpumalanga Provincial colours. Karli also qualifies for National Team Trials, and may very well end up in the National Squad and/or Protea Team.
The female esports team, VYBN Females, also had a good showing in the CSGO esports title. The team has now earned Provincial colours as well as qualifying for National Team Trials, and may very well end up in the National Squad and/or Protea Team. Of course, CSGO is just one of the six titles which MSSA has entered to contest at IESF’s 15th World Championships.
IESF’s 15th World Championships will be played to the following titles:
- Counter-Strike: GO (CSGO)
- Counter-Strike: GO (CSGO) – Female division
- DotA 2
- eFootball
- Mobile Legends, Bang Bang
- PUBGM
- Tekken 7
The winners of the 2023 Northern Cape Online Championships are:
Title | Name of player/team | Club | Colours awarded |
Clash of Clans | Martin Venter | Hoër Volkskool Potchefstroom | North West |
Clash Royale – Premier | John Kim | Middies | Mpumulanga |
Clash Royale – Premier – Female | Leone Loftus | Masters of Mind Sports | Free State |
Clash Royale | Tshwarelo Tshwane | Knights Mind Sports Club | |
CS:GO – Premier
|
ZAG CS |
ZAG Academy
|
|
Josh Chapman | Western Cape | ||
Sebastian Montoya-Pelaez | Western Cape | ||
Michael de Villiers | Western Cape | ||
Josh Orelowitz | Western Cape | ||
Thomas Venables | Gauteng | ||
CS:GO – Premier – Female
|
VYBN Females |
ZAG Academy
|
|
Paula van Vuuren | Western Cape | ||
Chloe Wilson | Gauteng | ||
Rialet van Jaarsveld | Gauteng | ||
Nicky Muller | Gauteng | ||
Alexandria Kruger | Mpumulanga | ||
FIFA 23 – Premier | Antonie Botes | Hoër Volkskool Potchefstroom | North West |
PUBGM – Premier
|
Team eFx |
Team eFx
|
|
Sulaimaan Musthan | KwaZulu Natal | ||
Jared Rubly | Gauteng | ||
Jarrod Pretorius | Gauteng | ||
Richard Henry | Eastern Cape | ||
Rocket League – Premier | Nick Matzopoulos | ZAG Academy | Western Cape |
Rocket League – Premier – Female | Karli Roodt | Middies | Mumulanga |
Rocket League – High Schools | Maree van der Merwe | Hoër Volkskool Potchefstroom | |
Tekken 7 | Jonathan Brown | Team Playbell | Western Cape |
Sportsmanship Award | Desiree Botha | Middies |
Africa
Technamin appoints Hmayak Manukyan as Regional Director

iGaming and sports betting solutions provider Technamin has appointed Hmayak Manukyan as Regional Director Africa.
The experienced salesman will head up the company’s expansion in markets across Africa, where it is looking to fuse in-depth industry knowledge with the latest available technologies.
Welcoming him to his new role, Technamin Founder and CEO Suren Khachatryan said: “Hmayak brings a wealth of industry knowledge to Technamin which will serve us well in the months to come.
“The growing markets throughout Africa are a golden opportunity for us and I am confident we have just what it takes to provide operators with an innovative and cost-effective alternative to what is currently on offer.”
Hmayak Manukyan added: “I’m very eager to explore this opportunity at Technamin as the company is currently one of the most exciting ones in the industry.
“I cannot wait to see what comes of our collaboration as the African region is full of untapped potential which is crying out for better products and services.”
Manukyan will join fellow Technamin team members at this year’s ICE London, where visitors can find them at stand S2-120.
Africa
SIS extends Africa footprint with Jolibet deal for Racing content

SIS (Sports Information Services), the leading provider of 24/7 live betting content, has secured an agreement with African operator Jolibet to deliver online its industry-leading horse and greyhound racing content.
Jolibet is now live with SIS’ premium live horse racing events from the UK and Ireland, as well as international meetings from Canada, Dubai, Germany, Hungary, Latin America, Mauritius, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Spain, and United States. In addition, the operator has launched UK, Irish and Mexican greyhound racing.
This latest commercial deal for SIS signals the growing demand from operators across Africa for its 24/7 live betting offering. Jolibet, which is accessible across multiple African and other international countries, will benefit from frequent betting opportunities that drives engagement and incremental revenues.
Jill Sone, Managing Director at Jolibet, said: “As we look to enhance our online offering and provide customers with a wide range of premium content to choose from, partnering with established suppliers such as SIS is crucial.
“With the company’s high quality 24/7 live betting services, we are in a commanding position to offer truly engaging content that our customers will greatly appreciate. This is an exciting period of growth for Jolibet and we value the support that the SIS team is providing us with.”
Joe Andrews, Head of Sales for Africa at SIS, said: “Partnering with Jolibet is another important step forward in our efforts to expand across Africa with our premium range of live betting content and services. It once again illustrates the ability of SIS to deliver cutting-edge and revenue-driving content to operators within this fast-growing continent.
“We are excited to be working alongside Jolibet to provide them with high quality live racing content, which we’re confident will be highly engaging for their customers.”
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