CAIRO, Egypt (XOL Africa) — The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and pan-African technology company Gebeya have launched a new competition aimed at helping African creators develop original projects in music, video and gaming through digital tools, technical support and funding.
The CANEX Create-thon 2026, launched under Afreximbank‘s Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) programme, will provide a total prize pool of $50,000 to support musicians, filmmakers, storytellers, game developers and other creative innovators across the continent.
Organizers said the initiative is designed to move beyond traditional pitch competitions by challenging participants to build working prototypes or completed creative projects during an intensive four-day creation sprint scheduled for Aug. 20-24, 2026.
Participants will receive access to Gebeya’s Dala Studio platform, computing resources and technical guidance to help transform creative ideas into market-ready products.
Temwa Gondwe, Afreximbank’s Director of Creatives and Diaspora, said many African creators have global visibility and talent but often lack access to the financial and technological resources needed to scale their work.
“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,” Gondwe said.
“The CANEX Create-thon 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 competition is open to amateur, emerging and established creators across Africa, with individuals and teams eligible to participate without requiring a production company, professional studio or existing audience.
Between 30 and 40 ambassadors from Gebeya’s community network will support participants throughout the creation process, helping them use the Dala Studio platform, solve technical challenges and maximize available computing resources.
Gebeya Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder Amadou Daffe said Africa’s creative industries are experiencing rapid growth but require better access to technology and production infrastructure.
“The commercial momentum behind African creativity is already evident,” Daffe said.
“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.”
He said the partnership would help creators move from ideas to commercially viable products.
“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,” Daffe said.
“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 award winners in three categories — music, video and gaming. First-place winners will receive $7,000, second-place winners $3,500, and third-place winners $1,500, while selected finalists will receive additional awards of $500.
Submissions will undergo technology-assisted screening before moving to a public voting stage that will identify the top 100 projects. An expert panel of representatives from the creative, technology and business sectors will then select the winners.
Winners in each category will receive an opportunity to attend CANEX WKND 2026, scheduled to take place at the National Theatre in Lagos, Nigeria, from Nov. 5-8, where they will engage with creators, investors, businesses, policymakers and leaders in Africa’s creative economy.
Afreximbank said the Create-thon forms part of its broader effort to develop and commercialize Africa’s creative and cultural industries by building pathways for creators to access technology, investment and global markets.
Registration for the competition opens July 30 and closes Aug. 19, 2026.
