Black-Owned Construction Company Brings Black Americans Back To Africa With State-Of-The-Art Arenas And Hotels

A new partnership aims to bring Black Americans home to the motherland with state-of-the-art sports arenas and hotels in several African cities developed by a Black-owned construction company.

Smith Choates Holdings, LLC and Urban Icon International have collaborated to continue both companies’ commitment to develop innovations in technology, community engagement, and economic growth. 

“Charles Choates formulated this whole vision of adding the sports and the NBA together in conglomerate with the hotel piece as well,” principal and CEO of Smith Choates Holdings, Darrell Choates Sr., said of his business partner during a phone conversation with BLACK ENTERPRISE.

“We formed this group because we want to make sure that we invest back into our homeland, which is Africa, and the surrounding areas as well. We are very excited to be a U.S.-based organization taking on a project like this, and I think we will take on additional projects in the area as well. We’re meeting with different government officials about affordable housing, also about ventures around bringing in solar solutions to Africa.”

The project, with an overall budget of $812 million, includes the construction of six state-of-the-art multi-sports arenas coupled with luxury hotels strategically located across various African regions, including Tanzania, Kenya, Mozambique, Uganda, and Cape Verde.

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

“Ultimately, the synergy is always there. I’ve always said that Africa is home,” said Elton Moodley, who oversees the developments in Zanzibar. “Welcome home, that’s how we look at it for you guys out in the States, that Africa is home for you all. The synergy will always be there. It’s a matter of doing exactly what Mr. Choates is doing right now: getting off his 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 out of Africa. That’s a guarantee.”

There has been a steady commitment to immersing American sports culture in Africa in recent years. The NBA Academy Africa, an elite basketball training center in Senegal, opened in 2018 thanks to a partnership between the NBA and SEED Project (Sports for Education and Economic Development), a non-profit organization based in Thies, Senegal.

That commitment continues thanks to the developments currently in place by the Black-owned construction company, which belongs to the Choates Family of Companies, Urban Icon International, Black Pearl Investments, and Prosper Africa.

The partnership seeks to build more than 10,000 affordable housing units in Africa, integrating cutting-edge energy and technology solutions into affordable housing projects and ensuring enhanced accessibility and sustainability for communities while reducing costs and environmental impact.

The project, which is now underway, is expected to be completed over the next five years.

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