The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has launched a competition for small and medium enterprises (SMEs)/startups in the product manufacturing space and creatives in the branding industry.

The hackathon was launched to commemorate its third anniversary in May.

“To mark this grand occasion, the Secretary-General, H.E. Wamkele Mene, and the AfCFTA Champion, former President of Niger, H.E.Mahamadou Issoufou, warmly invite SMEs/Startups in the product manufacturing space, and brand artists and other brand creatives who can help such SMEs to refresh the brand identity of their products in order to boost sales, to participate in a Hackathon,” AfCFTA said in a statement.

Participants interested in joining the hackathon should indicate their interest in one of three categories:

1. Graphic & visual designing for brands (upload samples of brand art)

2. Voice & musical arts for brands (upload sample jingles for brands)

3. SMEs/startups (upload pictures of products and sample packaging artwork).

The application forms will run till May 10, 2022.

Successful artists/musicians will be matched with selected SMEs/startups by May 12 — and the joint creative-entrepreneurial teams must deliver the final creatives (refreshed brand identity as evidenced by sample labels/packaging and jingles) by May 19.

AfCFTA said the best collaborative output, as judged by its hackathon mall and supermarket partners, will be recognised with prizes & spotlighting opportunities across Africa during the 3rd-anniversary celebrations.