The African Export-Import Bank (also known as Afreximbank) is expanding its investment in the continent’s creative economy with the Fund for Export Development in Africa (FEDA), designed to mobilize up to $1 billion for Africa’s film and television industry, Deadline reports.
The bank announced July 8 that its development impact investment arm, FEDA, officially launched the Pan-African Film Fund. The initiative will provide financing for film and television productions, production facilities, postproduction infrastructure, digital distribution platforms, and exhibition networks while helping African content compete in global entertainment markets.
Publishing executive and producer Lavaille Lavette was named chief executive officer of the Pan-African Film Fund. FEDA also appointed One Street Studios as co-general partner to help manage the fund’s investment strategy and operations. Lavette serves as managing partner of One Street Studios and co-founded JVL Media alongside Academy Award-winning actor Viola Davis and producer Julius Tennon.
According to FEDA, the fund will invest through equity, quasi-equity, and structured financing to support commercially viable
film, television, and immersive media projects with international distribution potential. Officials said the investment platform is intended to strengthen Africa’s creative economy by increasing access to long-term capital for creators and production companies.“Africa’s creative industries are entering a defining moment,” Lavette said in a statement. “Through the Pan-African Film Fund, we will mobilize long-term capital that supports creators, strengthens production capacity, and builds sustainable global distribution pathways for African storytelling.”
The Pan-African Film Fund expands Afreximbank’s Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) initiative, which aims to grow the continent’s cultural and creative industries into drivers of economic development, job creation, and exports.
The fund, first introduced under the CANEX program in May 2025, is expected to become one of the largest investment vehicles dedicated to financing Africa’s film and television industry, according to FEDA.
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