Black-owned construction company launches operations in Africa

A brand new partnership goals to offer African Americans a likelihood to return to their homeland with state-of-the-art sports arenas and hotels in several African cities being built by a black-owned construction company.

Smith Choates Holdings, LLC and Urban Icon International have They joined forces for each firms to proceed their commitment to technology advancement, community engagement and economic growth.

“Charles Choates articulated this whole vision of combining sports and the NBA into one entity, including the hospitality component,” Smith Choates Holdings CEO and CEO Darrell Choates Sr. said of his business partner in a phone interview with BLACK ENTREPRENEURSHIP.

“We started this group because we want to make sure that we’re investing back into our home country, Africa, and the surrounding areas. We’re very excited to be the U.S.-based organization that’s taking on a project like this, and I think we’ll be taking on additional projects in this area as well. We’re meeting with different government officials about affordable housing, and also about bringing solar to Africa.”

The project, with a complete budget of $812 million, includes the construction of six state-of-the-art multi-purpose sports arenas and luxury hotels strategically positioned in different regions of Africa, including Tanzania, Kenya, Mozambique, Uganda and Cape Verde.

“These facilities are poised to not only elevate the sporting landscape, but also stimulate local economies and promote tourism,” the Choates Family of Companies said in an official statement. “Each arena will integrate cutting-edge technology and sustainable practices, setting new standards for infrastructure development.”

“Ultimately, the synergy is always there. I’ve always said Africa is home,” said Elton Moodley, who oversees development in Zanzibar. “Welcome home, that’s how we see it for you guys in the States, Africa is home for all of you. The synergy will always be there. It’s about doing exactly what Mr. Choates is doing now: getting off his high horse and making things happen in Africa. I can guarantee you that in the next few years, the best basketball players in the world will come from Africa. That’s a guarantee.”

In recent years, there was a continued commitment to immersing American sports culture in Africa. NBA Academy Africa, an elite basketball training center in Senegal, opened in 2018 through a partnership between the NBA and SEED Project (Sports for Education and Economic Development), a nonprofit organization based in Thies, Senegal.

This concept continues with current developments led by a black-owned construction company that is a component of the Choates Family of Companies, Urban Icon International, Black Pearl Investments and Prosper Africa.

Additionally, the partnership will undertake initiatives to construct over 10,000 reasonably priced housing units across Africa, integrating cutting-edge energy and technology solutions into reasonably priced housing designs and ensuring improved accessibility and sustainability for communities while reducing costs and environmental impact.

The group expects the project, which is already underway, to be accomplished inside the subsequent five years, barring any delays.