African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), through its Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) programme, has partnered with Gebeya, a pan-African technology company with a proprietary Large Language Model and infrastructure designed for African language users, to launch the CANEX Create-thon
With a total prize pool of US$50,000, the competition is designed to help African creators turn original ideas into working creative projects, bringing together musicians, filmmakers, storytellers, game developers and other creative builders to develop projects in three categories: music, video and gaming.
Participants will have access to Gebeya’s Dala Studio platform, computing resources and practical technical support to help them develop their ideas during an intensive four-day creation sprint scheduled to take place from 20 to 24 August 2026.
Unlike a conventional pitch competition, the CANEX Create-thon will challenge participants to build and submit working prototypes or completed creative projects.
The initiative is intended to demonstrate what African creators can produce when they have access to appropriate digital tools, resources, guidance, funding and opportunities for wider exposure.
Mr. Temwa Gondwe- Director, Creatives and Diaspora at Afreximbank, said: “Africa’s creators are visible and have the digital talent but have often lacked the financial backing and access to digital tools to grow their trade. The CANEX Createthon bridges this gap by equipping our creators with access to technology to turn their viral ideas into viable long-term businesses. Through CANEX, we are enabling creators retain more value from their work, and to build a competitive base in regional
and global markets. It’s time African creators captured the true financial value of their
global influence.”
The CANEX Create-thon competition will be open to amateur, emerging and established creators across Africa. Participants will not require the backing of a production company, access to a conventional studio or an existing audience.
Individual creators and teams will be eligible to participate, subject to the competition guidelines. Throughout the creation sprint, participants will be supported by between 30 and 40 ambassadors from Gebeya’s community network. The ambassadors will help participants navigate the Dala Studio platform, address technical challenges and make effective use of the computing resources available.
Mr. Amadou Daffe, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Gebeya, said: “The commercial momentum behind African creativity is already evident. Recorded music revenues in Sub-Saharan Africa have grown by more than 20 per cent in a single year, the continent’s gaming market continues to expand, and Nigeria’s film industry remains among the world’s largest by production volume.
However, many creators still lack access to the technology and production infrastructure needed to
realise the full potential of their ideas. Through Dala Studio, the CANEX Create-thon will place practical digital tools directly in the hands of creators and challenge them to build original music, video and gaming projects. We want to help African creators move from inspiration to execution and from experimentation to products that can reach audiences, attract partners and create commercial value.”
The competition will recognise and award first, second and third place in each of the music, video and gaming categories. First-place winners will receive US$7,000, second-place winners US$3,500 and third-place winners US$1,500. Additional awards of US$500 will recognise qualifying finalists, in line with the competition guidelines.
All eligible submissions will first undergo technology-assisted screening to confirm compliance with the competition requirements. Approved entries will then proceed to a public voting stage, which will determine the top 100 projects. An expert panel drawn from the creative, technology and business sectors will assess the shortlisted projects and select the winners.
The first-place winner in each category will receive the opportunity to attend CANEX WKND 2026, which will take place at the National Theatre in Lagos, Nigeria, from 5 to 8 November 2026.
Beyond the financial awards, selected winners will gain exposure through Afreximbank’s CANEX network and have the opportunity to engage with creators, businesses, investors, policymakers and creative-industry leaders.
CANEX Create-thon forms part of Afreximbank’s goal to develop and commercialise Africa’s creative and cultural industries. It will also establish a replicable model for identifying creative-technology talent and supporting the development of commercially relevant African creative products.
Registration will open on 30 July 2026 and close on 19 August 2026. Creators can register and obtain the full competition guidelines, including eligibility, intellectual property, and submission requirements, at https://wknd.canex.africa/canex-createthon-2026.
