The Creative Africa Exchange (CAX) in collaboration with Africa Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), Africa Union, UNESCO, and other multilateral institutions are set to organize the first Creative Africa Exchange Weekend in Kigali, Rwanda.
According to CAX, the event is a consolidated marketplace for buyers and sellers of goods and services from the creative and cultural industry to meet and explore business opportunities.
It will help CAX facilitate investments into the industry through trade, industrialization and provision of critical infrastructure to support the transformation of Africa.
Meanwhile, more than 1,500 participants from 68 countries are expected at the Creative Africa Exchange (CAX) Weekend, including 250 exhibitors and an estimated $2 billion worth of trade and investment deals to be signed.
The event, which opens in Kigali on 16 January and ends on 18 January 2020, has been described as Africa’s first continental event dedicated to promoting exchange within the creative and cultural industry.
Organised by Times Multimedia (TMM) and sponsored by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and other partners, the three-day CAX Weekend would feature some of Africa’s leading talents in music, arts, design, fashion, literature, publishing, film and television sectors, giving participants the opportunity to network, create business opportunities, consider investment proposals and increase customer base.
Speakers at the event are Prof. Benedict Oramah, President of Afreximbank, American media personality, Steve Harvey, actor Djimmon Hounsou, Oscar-winning actor Idris Elba, representatives of the African Development Bank and senior government officials responsible for culture and the creative economy. Award-winning Nigerian musician D’Banj and several other high-profile musicians are also scheduled to perform.
[READ MORE: Afreximbank urges Nigeria, other African countries to take advantage of opportunities in AfCFTA)
The CAX Weekend will also witness the launch of MVMO, a new pan-African streaming service for movies, videos, music and opportunities that will serve as a distribution platform for the creative and cultural industry in Africa. MVMO is expected to help independent producers to publish and monetise their content.
