By Gautam Karve – World Media Organization
African volleyball, as a form of sport, is seen as entering an important phase of growth, with national teams, young athletes and beach volleyball programmes making significant strides across the continent.
The wider development journey of African volleyball was highlighted during a series of meetings in Nairobi involving the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) and the Congrès de la Confédération africaine de volleyball (CAVB) which is the African Volleyball Confederation.
Also in attendance were the National Federation leaders and representatives from several African volleyball zones.
The International Volleyball Federation delegation, led by FIVB President Fabio Azevedo, together with the Confederation of African Volleyball Associations President Bouchra Hajij, held discussions with leaders from Nigeria, Togo, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Senegal, Ghana, The Gambia, Cameroon, Benin, Uganda and Kenya.
Leaders from Zones 3, 4 and 5 also participated in discussions focused on strengthening the foundations of the sport.
Recent achievements underline Africa’s growing presence on the international stage.
Morocco won the men’s title at the 2026 CAVB Africa Beach Volleyball Championships, securing an LA28 Olympic quota place, while Egypt’s supported Under 18 boys’ and girls’ teams qualified for the 2027 FIVB Under 19 World Championships.
The Gambia also recorded a historic milestone at the 2025 FIVB Under 18 Beach Volleyball World Championship with a victory over the USA.
With the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 approaching, the focus is now on creating stronger pathways for young athletes and expanding participation.
On behalf of the World Media Organization, I extend my warmest congratulations to the African volleyball community, FIVB, CAVB, National Federations, athletes, coaches and administrators for their outstanding progress.
With such strides, some observers say the future of African volleyball should be now bright.
They fugure that, with continued cooperation and investment, the continent’s volleyball ecosystem can grow stronger at every level.
But so far, the continent is still lagging behind in Volleyball as it does in many other sporting activities.
As of 2024, no African team has ever been able to obtain impressive results in international competitions, neither in women’s nor in men’s events
