African creators are driving some of the most vibrant cultural shifts in gaming, film, animation, and music today. To turn that viral influence into lasting global businesses, the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), through its Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) initiative, has partnered with pan-African technology leader Gebeya to launch the CANEX Create-Thon 2026.
This pan-African competition brings a massive $50,000 prize pool directly to game developers, filmmakers, video producers, and musicians across the continent. Designed to support digital creators with computing resources, technical mentorship, and financial backing, the Create-Thon aims to bridge the gap between creative ideas and commercially viable products.
Unlike traditional pitch competitions where creators present slide decks and verbal concepts to judges, the CANEX Create-Thon focuses entirely on execution. Participants are challenged to build and submit real, working prototypes or completed creative projects across three core categories: Gaming, Video (including short films, animations, and cinematic projects), and Music.
The centerpiece of the competition is an intensive four-day virtual creation sprint taking place from August 20 to August 24, 2026. During this sprint, participants will gain access to Gebeya’s proprietary Dala Studio platform, alongside high-performance computing resources, technical toolkits, and hands-on guidance from a network of 30 to 40 expert tech and creative ambassadors.
Whether you are an independent game developer crafting a 2D indie prototype, an animator building a short video sequence, or a sound designer scoring video game audio, the Create-Thon gives you the tools needed to take your project from a rough sketch to a polished build.
Africa’s creative industries are experiencing explosive growth. Recorded music revenues across Sub-Saharan Africa have soared over 20% in recent years, Nollywood remains one of the largest film industries in the world by volume, and local video game studios are releasing acclaimed titles onto global platforms like Steam and Xbox.
However, many talented creators still struggle to access high-end digital infrastructure, software licenses, and early-stage capital.
Speaking on the launch of the initiative, Temwa Gondwe, Director of Creatives and Diaspora at Afreximbank, highlighted the bank’s commitment to helping African talent retain true value from 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. 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 to retain more value from their work and build a competitive base in regional and global markets.
Amadou Daffe, CEO and co-founder of Gebeya, echoed those sentiments, noting that equipping creators with tailored AI tools and studio platforms allows African stories to reach global audiences on their own terms.
Amadou Daffe, CEO and co-founder of Gebeya, echoed those sentiments, noting that equipping creators with tailored AI tools and studio platforms allows African stories to reach global audiences on their own terms.
Prize Structure and Public Voting Stages
The $50,000 prize pool is structured to recognize and reward exceptional talent across all three competition categories (Gaming, Video, and Music):
1st Place Winners (per category): $7,000 funding award
2nd Place Winners (per category): $3,500 funding award
3rd Place Winners (per category): $1,500 funding award
Qualifying Finalists: Additional $500 micro-grants to support further development
All submitted projects will first go through a technology-assisted screening process to verify eligibility and technical compliance. Entries that pass screening will advance to a public voting stage, where fans and digital communities can vote for their favorite gaming prototypes, videos, and music tracks to select the Top 100 projects.
From there, an expert panel drawn from the creative, gaming, film, and tech industries will evaluate the shortlisted submissions and pick the final winners.
Who Can Apply?
The competition is completely open to individual creators and creative teams across Africa. You do not need to be signed to a major game studio, record label, or production company, nor do you need a massive existing social media following. Amateur, emerging, and established builders alike are invited to submit their original work.
Whether you are building a narrative-driven video game, an animated pilot, a film short, or an immersive soundtrack, this platform offers a rare chance to showcase your talent directly to investors, industry leaders, and global partners.
Registration opens on July 30th and closes on August 19th. First-place winners in each category will also receive the opportunity to attend CANEX WKND 2026, taking place at the National Theatre in Lagos, Nigeria, from November 5th to 8th. Interested creators can register here.