betPawa injects Sh194.8 million into National Basketball League

Dar es Salaam. A famous betting brand, betPawa, has announced a Sh194, 880,000 sponsorship for the National Basketball League (NBL), currently taking place in Dodoma Region.

This was revealed yesterday at a press conference held at Serena Hotel in the city.

Speaking at the event, betPawa Chief Commercial Officer and Managing Director of Mchezo Company Ntoudi Mouyelo said they decided to sponsor basketball in the country to help elevate the sport.

Mouyelo explained that Sh130 million will be allocated to awards, Sh14 million to prize money, and the remaining funds will support the Tanzania Basketball Federation (TBF) administration.

He noted that betPawa chose to sponsor the league and support the TBF because of its good governance and transparency.

"Our firm is dedicated to the development of the sport as well as supporting communities," Mouyelo added. Mouyelo also introduced the “Locker Room Bonus” in the NBL, a player financial reward system, whereby the 12 players and four officials of the winning team receive Sh140,000 each.

This Locker Room Bonus initiative has been launched by betPawa across various sports and African countries.

“We’re delighted to bring our popular player appreciation bonus to Tanzania. This is a key step towards recognising the hard work and dedication of those at the heart of the game: the players,” said Mouyelo. The bonus will be paid directly to players’ mobile wallets immediately after a win and before players and staff leave the stadium, hence the term "Locker Room Bonus."

In addition to Locker Room Bonuses, betPawa has committed Sh14 million to be shared among the best players and the winning team at the end of the 2025 season.

As part of the sponsorship, betPawa has become the Official Betting Sponsor of the National Basketball League.

“We aim to elevate basketball in this region, just as we have in Rwanda through a similar partnership with FERWABA (Federation of Rwanda Basketball),” added Mouyelo.

Mouyelo further stated that betPawa will support the winner of the NBL in the next Basketball African League.

Speaking on behalf of the Deputy minister for Culture, Arts, and Sports, Hamisi Mwinjuma (also known as Mwana FA), Acting Director of Sports Development Tamba Boniface said the support reflects betPawa’s belief in the talent, potential, and future of basketball in Tanzania.

Mwinjuma said that sponsoring the league and introducing initiatives like the Locker Room Bonus fuels the dreams of young athletes and advances a thriving sports culture in Tanzania.

He noted that the NBL has become a core part of Tanzanian basketball, offering players a competitive arena to showcase their skills and inspire a new generation of fans.

“With this partnership, we expect the NBL to grow in stature, attracting more fans and developing talent nationwide,” said Mwinjuma.

For his part, TBF president Michael Kadebe thanked betPawa for the sponsorship and pledged to use the funds as directed.