Afreximbank Partners with Gebeya for CANEX Create-thon 2026
The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), through its Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) program, has joined forces with Gebeya, a pan-African technology company that specializes in large-scale language models and infrastructure tailored for African language users, to unveil the CANEX Create-thon 2026.
Supporting African Creators with a $50,000 Prize Fund
This competition features a substantial prize pool of $50,000, designed to empower African creators to transform their innovative ideas into tangible creative projects. It seeks to unite musicians, filmmakers, storytellers, game developers, and other creative professionals to produce work across three categories: music, video, and games.
Access to Resources and Technical Guidance
During an intensive four-day production sprint, scheduled for August 20-24, 2026, participants will benefit from Gebeya’s Dala Studio platform, complete with computing resources and hands-on technical support. This competitive format provides a unique opportunity for creators to develop their concepts into fully realized projects.
Innovative Submission Format for Participants
Distinct from traditional pitch contests, the CANEX Create-thon requires participants to build and submit working prototypes or fully completed projects. This initiative aims to illustrate the potential of African creators when provided with the appropriate digital tools, mentorship, funding, and broader exposure.
Inclusivity for All Creators
The competition is welcoming to amateur, emerging, and established creators across the African continent. Notably, participants do not need to be associated with a production company, traditional studios, or even possess an existing audience, making it an inclusive opportunity for all.
Technical Support from Gebeya’s Network of Ambassadors
Individual participants and teams are encouraged to join, following the contest guidelines. Throughout the development sprint, participants will receive assistance from 30-40 ambassadors from Gebeya’s community network. These ambassadors will help navigate the Dala Studio platform, overcome technical challenges, and maximize the available computing resources.
Prizes and Recognition for Winners
Winners will be announced in each category, with first-place recipients earning $7,000, second-place winners receiving $3,500, and third-place achievers awarded $1,500. Additionally, qualified finalists will each receive an extra $500 in cash prizes. Following a technology-assisted review to ensure compliance with the contest requirements, eligible submissions will enter a public voting stage to identify the top 100 projects. A panel of experts from the fields of creativity, technology, and business will then evaluate these submissions to determine the final winners.
Opportunities Beyond Financial Awards
The winners will have the opportunity to showcase their work at CANEX WKND 2026, set to take place from November 5-8, 2026, at the National Theater in Lagos, Nigeria. In addition to monetary prizes, selected winners will gain invaluable exposure and networking opportunities with other creators, businesses, investors, policymakers, and leaders in the creative industry, facilitated through Afreximbank’s CANEX network.
Empowering African Creative Industries
The CANEX Create-thon is part of Afreximbank’s broader mission to enhance and commercialize Africa’s creative and cultural industries. It aims to establish a replicable model for identifying creative technology talent while supporting the development of commercially viable African creative products.
Registration Details
Registration for the competition opens on July 30, 2026, and will close on August 19, 2026. Interested creators can register online to access full contest guidelines, including eligibility criteria, intellectual property considerations, and submission requirements.
Media contact:
Vincent Musumba
Communications and Events Manager (Media Relations)
Email: press@afreximbank.com
Abigail Abebe
Gebeya Co., Ltd. Digital Marketing Manager
Email: abigail.abebe@gebeya.com
About Afreximbank:
The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is a pan-African multilateral financial institution dedicated to financing and facilitating trade within and outside Africa for over 30 years. The bank has forged innovative financing solutions that support the transformation of Africa’s trade structure, accelerate industrialization, and enhance intraregional trade, ultimately facilitating Africa’s economic growth. A strong proponent of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), Afreximbank has also introduced the Pan-African Payments System (PAPSS), adopted by the African Union as its primary payments platform for implementing the AfCFTA. By the end of December 2025, Afreximbank’s total assets and reserves exceeded $48.5 billion, with shareholder funds reaching $8.4 billion, and it holds investment-grade ratings from several international credit agencies.
About Gebeya:
Gebeya is a pan-African AI technology company focused on deploying artificial intelligence to serve the next billion users by creating digital infrastructure tailored to African realities. By providing AI-driven tools and accessible digital systems, Gebeya enhances the usability, relevance, and inclusivity of technology for individuals, businesses, and organizations across the continent.
