PROJECT OVERVIEW

Zaria Court Kigali is a landmark mixed-use sports, culture and hospitality complex, strategically located in the heart of Kigali Sports City in Rwanda’s capital. 

Positioned adjacent to the iconic BK Arena and Amahoro Stadium, this ambitious development reimagines a historically significant site into a vibrant destination that blends professional sports spaces, community engagement, hospitality services and creative economy platforms.

Originally an adaptive reuse of a modernist building with historical significance, once housing United Nations operations during the 1994 Rwandan Genocide and later serving public health functions, the project reinvents this structure into a dynamic hub for sport, culture, and economic activation.

Zaria Court features:

• A multi-purpose professional standards sports court open to the public for basketball, community leagues, clinics and cultural events;
• Five-a-side football pitches, flexible event space for concerts, festivals and activations;
• An 80-room urban lifestyle hotel operating under Tapestry Collection by Hilton, blending global hospitality standards with authentic African design;
• Retail areas, a sports bar, rooftop lounge with city views, pool and wellness facilities;
• Public realm and landscaped areas that enhance community gathering and public life.

Zaria Court merges sport, culture, hospitality, and local entrepreneurship to create a sustainable destination for residents, visitors, teams and creatives. It is designed not only as infrastructure but as a catalyst for cultural exchange, economic opportunity and urban vibrancy in Kigali.

KEY PARTNERS

• Developer: Zaria Group, a Pan-African brand with a mission to integrate sport, culture, hospitality and economic opportunity across Africa. Project co-founded with Masai Ujiri, NBA executive and founder of Giants of Africa.

• Public Sector Engagement: Collaboration with Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and alignment with national sports & cultural infrastructure strategy.

• Site Operator: QA Venue Solutions, a Pan-African event, venue and operations management companyspecializing in the sports, entertainment and cultural ecosystem. It provides the operational expertise required to manage multi-use venues like Zaria Court — including event logistics, facility operations, booking coordination, technical production, client relations, and on-site services.

• Hospitality Partner: Tapestry Collection by Hilton, global hotel brand providing operations, service standards, and loyalty benefits.

• Investment / Financial Backing: Helios Investment Partners through its Helios Sports and Entertainment Fund, and local financing (e.g., Bank of Kigali).

• Design / Architectural: NLÉ, master planning and architectural design, focusing on adaptive reuse and community-oriented public spaces.

KEY IMPACTS

Economic & Employment Impacts

• c.500 jobs created during construction and initial launch — with a focus on hiring local talent, especially youth and women.
• 100+ ongoing permanent jobs in hotel operations, events, venue management, food & beverage, retail, security, and maintenance — plus extended opportunities through vendors and contractors.

Sports & Practice Engagement
Zaria Court serves as active sports infrastructure for Kigali’s residents and visitors:

• Daily public access to the multi-purpose basketball court and five-a-side football pitches for leisure, informal play and organized community leagues.
• Target programming goals include weekly youth clinics, school partnerships, and community tournaments that aim to involve thousands of local participants annually in sports activities, fostering regular physical activity and skills development. (target assumption aligned with model projections for community sports hubs)

Visitor & Activation Metrics
Although official attendance figures are evolving, Zaria Court aims to generate:

• High footfall tied to nearby major sports events, leveraging the proximity of BK Arena and Amahoro Stadium for spill-over visitors.
• Repeat visitation through a mix of events, social programming, hospitality stays, retail activations, and celebrations, targeting tens of thousands of visits annually once fully operational. (indicative projection based on urban mixed-use hubs combining sport, culture and hospitality)

Community & Cultural Engagement

• Hosts cultural festivals, music concerts, fashion showcases and creative workshops that expand opportunities for local artists and performers.
• Supports retail incubation programs for local SMEs, especially women-owned businesses, offering commercial space and exposure to new markets.
• Promotes quantitative objectives such as year-on-year increases in community sports participation, local vendor sales growth, and event booking targets that contribute measurable impact beyond mere construction. (estimated based on standard impact frameworks for similar hubs)

Urban & Economic Multipliers
Zaria Court functions as a catalyst for economic activity:

• By attracting tourists and regional visitors through sports tourism and events (linked to BK Arena and Kigali’s convention calendar).
• By creating supply chains in hospitality, event logistics, and cultural industries.
• By contributing to local tax base, small business growth, and enhanced city vibrancy — measured through increased retail activity and hospitality occupancy rates. (aligned with economic multipliers for mixed-use developments)