From the Democratic Republic of the Congo's Les Léopards' dramatic arrival at the FIFA World Cup in leopard-print panelled suits and matching luggage to the Nigerian Super Falcons channelling 'rich aunties' by turning up to WAFCON in green-and-white patterned adire, 2026 has been a big year for the fusion of African sports and African fashion.
However, a year before these two viral moments, Afreximbank, through its Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) initiative, had recognised the inherent value in bringing innovative African design into the world of sport and launched the African Sportswear Design Competition, which was won by RHYZR, an emerging sportswear brand.
Headed by Chuks Collins, a Nigerian fashion designer, RHYZR has gone on to dress the finalist teams of the 2026 CAF African Schools Football Championship and unveiled a capsule collection in partnership with the Basketball Africa League (BAL) in April and May respectively.
RHYZR's success story, along with that of the CANEX-backed Ghanaian upcycling brand BOYEDOE (profiled here), is one of many that have been catalysed by Afreximbank's decision to endow CANEX with $2bn in order to support Africa's creative and cultural industries, spanning not only fashion and sport but film, music, literature, gastronomy, and arts, crafts and design as well.
Lagos welcomes CANEX WKND
The first CANEX Summit was launched at the 2021 Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2021) on November 19, 2021, in Durban, South Africa, and the latest iteration, CANEX WKND, is scheduled for November 5 - 8, 2026 in Lagos, Nigeria.
Tagged "Where African design meets global markets," the fashion vertical is a development and trade-driven platform connecting African and Africa-inspired designers to global buyers, retailers, and industry stakeholders through curated exhibitions, showcases and export-focused programming.
Speaking to African Business, Khanyi Mashimbye, manager of creative and cultural industries at Afreximbank, cited the economic opportunities in the global fashion industry as a major factor behind the bank's decision to back African fashion.
"The global fashion industry has revenues that exceed almost $881bn in 2025, and are projected to grow up to $1.8 trillion in 2029, so it really presents significant opportunities for new business because there's continuous consumer demand."
However, with the industry dominated by Europe, North America, and Asia, Africa is yet to catch up with the rest of the world.
Endless potential
But it's not as if the continent is short of potential. Ghana President John Mahama's traditional smocks during his state visit to Malawi earlier this year sparked a worldwide interest in his preferred outfit colloquially known in Ghana as fugu or batakari. Similarly, the bold and daring designs worn by Nollywood celebrities on the the Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards (AMVCA) red carpet have caught the attention of style mavens and fashion commentators, while American high schoolers routinely order bespoke, asoebi-style prom dresses from Nigeria.
As Mashimbye points out: "37 African countries grow and export cotton and we have capabilities for world-class garment manufacturing, if you consider Ethiopia, Kenya (pictured), and Lesotho who are really quite advanced in terms of exports into global markets."
Mashimbye's assessment is congruent with the Business of Fashion and McKinsey co-authored report on the State of Fashion 2025, which attests to the existence of excellent technological and fashion infrastructure in several African markets. Lesotho in particular is well known for producing apparel for major international brands like Levi's, Gap, and Reebok among others, and its domestic clothing and textile industry is the country's largest private-sector employer.
But countries with an industrial gap do not necessarily have to be left behind. There has been a global shift to slow fashion or more environmentally-conscientious production, and a lot of African indigenous textiles are still produced in such a manner, which Mashimbye regards as an advantage.
And yet, despite having a raw material base, a rich cultural heritage of varied textile production from kente to kitenge, and high acclaim for authenticity and environmentally conscious production methods, which should all serve as competitive advantages, Africa's share of the global fashion market only amounts to less than 2%.
However, what others might see as a shortcoming is a prime opportunity for CANEX. Mashimbye says with their involvement, African fashion will not only be a creative and cultural expression, but a globally competitive export.
"The world is ready for African products," emphasises Mashimbye.
African designers get support
Already the relationships CANEX has forged with international luxury retail stores like Galeries Lafayette as well as business-to-business (B2B) fashion trade shows like the Portugal Fashion Week, Tranoï Paris, and Tranoï Tokyo have yielded dividends for the African designers CANEX has nurtured, and created multiple jobs uplifting youth and women within the African ecosystem. Mashimbye cites Fozia Endrias, an Ethiopian eco-conscious clothing and accessories brand, and Vanhu Vamwe, a Zimbabwean luxury accessories brand as notable examples.
"When Vanhu Vamwe started in the programme with us, they were really sold regionally, and currently they're sold in over 50 stores across the world, and they've since grown their workforce from 20 women creating the bags now to over 150 women creating sustainable employment, and having a direct impact in their communities."
For Afreximbank, a financial institution with an interest in trade-related interventions, facilitating intercontinental trade on the whole is just as important as exporting African-produced goods overseas, which is why Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) and the CANEX WKND exist.
"This is to bridge the information asymmetry that exists amongst Africans, where we don't know who's producing what way at what price and who we can trade with" says Mashimbye.
To help reduce frictions that hamper intra-continental trade, Mashimbye says they are lobbying for stronger intellectual property protection policies, working with the African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO) to establish a uniform sizing chart across the continent, which will be ready by the end of 2027, and launching the Pan-African Fashion Alliance, a cooperative platform for African, Caribbean, and diasporan designers, producers, manufacturers and entrepreneurs that would also act as a repository of information for anyone in the industry looking to source products or services.
Not a fashion fad
Mashimbye is optimistic about the upcoming CANEX WKND and how the different programmes they have lined up at the event will facilitate market access, production scalability, and commercial opportunity for African creative and cultural industries.
What is certain is that while fashion trends may come and go, Afreximbank's $2bn venture into the African apparel industry is not a passing fad. Their track record shows that CANEX is not only supporting African fashion businesses with international exposure; it is investing in intra-African trade, policy advocacy and export-readiness initiatives, all of which ensure that their creativity is matched with sustainable commercial growth.