Basketball players on the Copperbelt will earn K675 each for every victory under a partnership worth more than K4 million between the Copperbelt Basketball Association (CBA) and Locker Room Bonus (LRB).

The initiative, launched in the CBA Super League, will cover more than 305 matches involving 16 teams across five venues during the 2026/2027 season.

Under the programme, every player and eligible member of the technical staff on a winning team in both the men’s and women’s competitions will receive K675 for each victory.

The initiative is designed to reward winning performances equally, regardless of a player’s reputation, position or status.

Under the arrangement, a first-year player will receive the same bonus as an established star, with the same terms applying across the CBA Super League.

The bonuses will be paid directly into the recipients’ mobile money wallets before they leave the dressing room, with the programme designed to eliminate delays, intermediaries and discretionary decisions.

Locker Room Bonus has operated since the 2022/2023 season across eight African countries: Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Malawi and Cameroon, supporting football and basketball.

CBA Secretary General, Mulonga Mumba, said the player incentive programme would support basketball development and improve players’ welfare.

“Basketball on the Copperbelt has struggled to attract sponsorship for several years and left talented players with limited opportunities to develop and benefit from the sport. Players can now compete at a high level and take on the sport as a rewarding career,” Mumba said.

The programme is intended to ensure that every player who contributes to a winning team shares in the reward, with equal rates applying to the men’s and women’s competitions throughout the 2026/2027 season.

Zambia is the latest country to introduce the Locker Room Bonus initiative, which aims to reward athletes for their performances across African sporting leagues.

The programme’s central principle is that every victory counts and that players who contribute to a winning performance should receive a tangible reward.

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