Helios Investment Partners, through its Helios Sports & Entertainment Group (HSEG), is backing the growth of Africa’s sports and entertainment industries through investments in talent, sports intellectual property, venues and live experiences, as the continent’s sports economy is projected to reach $20 billion by 2035.
The strategy comes amid growing commercial interest in African sporting talent and entertainment, supported by a young population, expanding digital audiences and increasing demand for locally relevant content.
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In Nigeria, the sector attracted more than ₦50 billion in private-sector investment in 2025, according to figures cited in the company’s announcement.
Despite this momentum, funding gaps across sports infrastructure, athlete development and commercially sustainable sporting properties continue to constrain the sector’s growth.
HSEG aims to address some of these challenges by combining investment capital with operational expertise and regional networks to develop businesses capable of attracting audiences and generating long-term commercial value.
The group’s investment strategy spans sports intellectual property, talent, entertainment, venues and arenas.
Its portfolio includes Professional Fighters League (PFL) Africa, NBA Africa, Zaria Group and The Malachite Group, providing exposure to different parts of the sports and entertainment value chain.
A central part of the strategy is PFL Africa, established in 2024 as a joint venture between HSEG and the Professional Fighters League, an international mixed martial arts organisation.
The initiative is designed to develop African fighters, expand the sport’s audience and create pathways for local athletes to compete on the international stage.
In June 2026, PFL Africa staged its first Nigerian event at the Eko Convention Centre in Lagos.
The event featured eight Nigerian fighters, including Wasi Adeshina and Patrick Ocheme, bringing local athletes into an international professional competition on home soil.
Beyond the bouts themselves, the event demonstrated the wider commercial ecosystem required to establish a major sporting property, bringing together athletes, event operators, audiences and local promotional activities.
Such events can create opportunities across event production, hospitality, media, sponsorship and related services, although their long-term economic impact depends on sustained investment and audience demand.
HSEG’s wider portfolio reflects a similar focus on building the businesses and infrastructure that support sports and entertainment.
NBA Africa manages the National Basketball Association’s business and intellectual property across the continent, while Zaria Group develops and manages sports and entertainment venues.
The Malachite Group, meanwhile, develops global content and live experiences through brands including Afro Nation.
Together, the investments provide exposure to sports, entertainment and live events at a time when African talent and cultural products are attracting wider international attention.
Tope Lawani, Co-founder and Managing Partner of Helios Investment Partners LLP, said the group’s strategy builds on the firm’s long-standing focus on African investment opportunities and their potential for commercial and socioeconomic impact.
“Helios has for over two decades exclusively focused on harnessing the wealth of investment opportunities in Africa, generating both competitive returns and real socio-economic impact,” Lawani said.
He added that HSEG continues the firm’s investment approach by creating opportunities across sports and entertainment, from supporting early-stage ventures to providing established businesses with growth capital and expertise.
The projected expansion of Africa’s sports economy offers considerable potential, but turning that opportunity into sustainable growth will require more than international attention.
Investment in training facilities, grassroots development, professional management, media distribution and reliable revenue streams will remain important to the long-term competitiveness of African sporting organisations.
There is also a need to ensure that the benefits of commercial growth extend beyond major events and established brands.
Athletes, coaches, technical workers, local event suppliers and young people entering the wider sports industry must be able to access meaningful opportunities if investment is to deliver broader economic benefits.
For Nigeria, where football dominates much of the sporting landscape, investment in other disciplines and entertainment-led sporting properties could help diversify audiences and commercial opportunities.
The expansion of professional mixed martial arts through PFL Africa offers one example of how international partnerships could create new platforms for local talent.
However, the scale of the opportunity should be considered alongside the challenges of infrastructure costs, access to finance, audience development and the need to build durable local sporting institutions.
The continent’s projected $20 billion sports economy is a forecast, not a guarantee, and its realisation will depend on how effectively investment translates into commercially viable businesses and wider participation.
Helios’ strategy places the group within a growing effort to connect African talent and cultural influence with global commercial markets.
Whether such investments produce lasting economic gains will depend on their ability to support local capabilities, build sustainable sporting properties and create value beyond individual events.
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As global interest in African sport and entertainment develops, HSEG is positioning its portfolio to participate in that growth while helping build the infrastructure and businesses needed to support the industry’s next phase.
