Helios-backed mixed-use development launches in Kigali
Zaria Court Kigali, a $26 million mixed-use development in Rwanda’s capital, opened this week.
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Zaria Court Kigali, a $26 million mixed-use development in Rwanda’s capital, opened this week. It is the first project from Zaria Group, a developer of sports, entertainment and cultural infrastructure co-founded by NBA champion Masai Ujiri in partnership with Helios Sports and Entertainment Group (HSEG).
HSEG, part of Helios Investment Partners, focuses on investments in Africa’s sports, entertainment and media sectors. Its portfolio includes Zaria Group, a developer of arena-anchored entertainment districts; NBA Africa, which oversees the Basketball Africa League; The Malachite Group, a venture building sports intellectual property and athlete development platforms; and the Professional Fighters League, a global mixed martial arts brand expanding its presence on the continent.
Zaria Court Kigali is situated adjacent to Kigali's BK Arena and Amahoro Stadium.
"Today marks more than the opening of a building – it's the beginning of something transformational. Zaria Court represents everything we've dreamed of: a place where African excellence takes centre stage, where our youth see unlimited possibility, and where culture and community thrive together. This is our vision for the continent's future – bold, authentic, and unapologetically African. We're not just building venues; we're building the foundation for Africa's cultural renaissance, because we know that courts create communities, venues create value, ecosystems create economies," said Masai Ujiri, co-founder and partner of Zaria Group.
Zaria Court Kigali includes an 80-room boutique hotel and a 2,000-seat event space, alongside a podcast studio and creative co-working facilities. The development also features a public basketball court, five-a-side football pitches, a fitness gym, a selection of restaurants, a sports bar, retail outlets, and open public areas, including a children’s playground.
“Zaria Court, along with the ecosystem built around it, marks just the beginning. Its influence extends beyond Rwanda, reaching across our region and the continent. It starts with a single initiative and continues to expand. There is tremendous potential to identify and nurture talent – potential that is, in fact, limitless. What we cultivate here can connect with and elevate many other sectors. In Africa, the power of sport is undeniable; it unites people from all walks of life, every day and in every moment. That shared spirit has the capacity to inspire growth and progress in numerous areas of development,” commented Rwandan President Paul Kagame.
"What we've accomplished here in Kigali proves that Africa's development potential is extraordinary when you combine vision with the right investment approach. Zaria Court demonstrates our methodology of transforming underutilised urban assets into vibrant economic engines that serve communities while generating sustainable returns. This venue-centered ecosystem model creates authentic value – real jobs, real opportunities, real community impact. And this is just the beginning. We're taking this proven approach to cities across the continent because Africa deserves infrastructure that reflects its ambition and serves its people," explained Andrew Feinstein, managing director and partner of Zaria Group.
The company aims to have five flagship Zaria Court sites in major urban African markets open or under development by 2030.
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