Visit Rwanda has announced two major sponsorship deals in the United States, partnering with the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers and the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams. The new agreements expand Rwanda’s global sports portfolio, which already includes partnerships with Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Atlético de Madrid, and an academy collaboration with FC Bayern Munich.
Under the deal with the Clippers, Visit Rwanda becomes the team’s exclusive jersey patch sponsor, with its logo featured on all game and practice jerseys at home and away. The partnership also makes Visit Rwanda the official tourism sponsor of the Clippers and the coffee sponsor of the Intuit Dome, the team’s home arena. Community initiatives will include court refurbishments and youth coaching clinics in both Los Angeles and Rwanda.
The Los Angeles Rams sponsorship makes Visit Rwanda an official international tourism partner of the team, SoFi Stadium, and Hollywood Park. The agreement includes branding rights within SoFi Stadium, entitlement sponsorship of the West Owners Club and the Level 3 North Canyon Basin, and digital advertising on the stadium’s Infinity Screen and across Hollywood Park.
Jean-Guy Afrika, CEO of the Rwanda Development Board, said the partnerships would showcase Rwanda’s “unrivaled natural beauty and extraordinary biodiversity” to sports fans in Los Angeles and globally.
The deals align with the NBA’s broader push to globalize basketball, including through the Basketball Africa League (BAL), which has staged games in Rwanda since its 2021 launch. As part of the engagement, the Clippers will refurbish a basketball court in Rwanda, host youth coaches for training in San Diego, and send coaching staff to Rwanda for clinics.
“This is a tremendous opportunity to have Visit Rwanda sponsor SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park,” said Otto Maly, President of Kroenke Holdings, noting the venues’ roles in hosting major international events.
The partnerships aim to strengthen Rwanda’s global brand visibility while promoting tourism and youth development through sport.
