Africa’s Olympics success could be an economic catalyst

In July, South Sudan’s heroic basketball players fell agonisingly short of a historic victory over the United States in an Olympics warmup game in London.

With eight seconds left on the clock, LeBron James, one of the game’s true global superstars, hit a crucial lay-up to put his side ahead by one point, closing out an enthralling contest 101-100.

At one stage, South Sudan, ranked 33rd in the world and due to perform in their first Olympic Games in Paris this summer, led the Americans by sixteen points. That’s the same NBA-infused “Dream Team” who will be targeting a fifth consecutive men’s basketball gold medal at the Olympics.

While they could not hold on – this time at least – South Sudan’s recent form augurs well for their chances of going far at the tournament. Two days earlier, they beat Great Britain, hosts of the warmup tournament, 84-81, in another exciting contest.

South Sudan Basketball Federation president Luol Deng, a former NBA superstar who performed for Great Britain at the 2012 Olympic Games, has much to be proud of. His impoverished home nation – which was racked by civil war between 2013 and 2020 – has rarely featured positively in global headlines, but the team’s remarkable efforts have inspired unity and pride.

South Sudan is not the only troubled nation which is outperforming on the global sporting stage. In July, Eritrea’s Biniam Girmay became the first black African to win a stage on the Tour de France. Not only that, but the star went on to win a further two stages and wore the Tour’s prestigious green jersey – awarded to the best sprinter over the three-week competition.

Not just a feelgood factor

While sporting success can bring much-needed joy to nations beset by economic and political troubles, it can also lead to tangible economic benefits. In recent years, the NBA has launched huge efforts to win over African fans – including launching the Basketball Africa League with FIBA, hosting games featuring US teams on the continent and supporting educational and investment programmes in Africa. As South Sudan’s performances show and fan interest in the sport grows in Africa, those investments are looking shrewd. 

Cycling is also stepping up to the plate. Having raised champion cyclists – including Girmay and Kenyan-raised Tour de France champion Chris Froome (who raced for Great Britain) – Africa is making a strong claim to further investment. The UCI Road World Championships will be held on the African continent for the first time in Kigali, Rwanda in September 2025, featuring road races, and individual and team time trials. The championships are expected to attract over 5,000 cyclists and 20,000 delegates from around the world. 

The UCI World Cycling Centre (WCC) set up the Africa 2025 project at the end of 2022 for some of the most promising young athletes from African countries, which has included training camps in South Africa, Europe and at the Tour de Rwanda and the Tour d’Algérie. 

Such success stories could persuade governing bodies and sponsors in other sports to loosen their purse strings. As the Olympic Games got underway in Paris, thousands of athletes in hundreds of disciplines travelled from across Africa safe in the knowledge that they can put their sports on the global map – and in the sights of investors.