CANEX Create-Thon 2026 FAQ

Question 1

What is the CANEX Create-thon?

Accepted Answer

It is CANEX Create-thon 2026, powered by Gebeya — a pan-African creative challenge where artists create music, videos and games on Dala Studio, then compete for global public votes and recognition from industry icons, sharing a US $50,000 prize pool.

Question 2

Who can participate?

Accepted Answer

Creators from across Africa — amateur, emerging or established — who are aged 18 or older and are citizens or legal residents of an African country.

Question 3

Which countries are eligible?

Accepted Answer

It is open to citizens or legal residents of any African country, aged 18 or older.

Question 4

Is it free to enter?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Registration and participation in Create-thon 2026 are completely free.

Question 5

Can I enter more than one category?

Accepted Answer

No. Each participant may submit only one project in one category (Music, Video or Games). Team submissions are not allowed — individual entries only.

Question 6

Can I work as a team?

Accepted Answer

No. Only individual entries are accepted. Each participant submits a single project on their own.

Question 7

Do I have to use Dala Studio?

Accepted Answer

Yes. All projects must be created and developed on Dala Studio. Projects produced using any other AI platform will be disqualified.

Question 8

Who owns my project after the competition?

Accepted Answer

You retain full ownership of your creation. Neither Gebeya, Afreximbank, nor any program partner holds any intellectual-property claim over your work.

Question 9

What content is not allowed?

Accepted Answer

Hate speech, sexually explicit content, defamatory material and gratuitous violence are prohibited. Projects must be original and must not contain unauthorized copyrighted music, footage, characters, logos or other third-party materials.

Question 10

How do I register?

Accepted Answer

Go to canex.gebeya.com and click ‘Register now’. It takes about a minute. Registration is open from 20 July until 3 September 2026.

Question 11

What is the difference between Dala Studio and CANEX registration?

Accepted Answer

Dala Studio (dala.gebeya.com) is the AI platform where you build and develop your project. The CANEX page (canex.gebeya.com) is the event portal where you register, read the rules and submit your final work. You need both: register on CANEX, build on Dala.

Question 12

How do I create directly on the CANEX link?

Accepted Answer

You don’t build on CANEX. Project creation happens on Dala Studio (dala.gebeya.com) — just log in with your Google account to practice and build. The CANEX page is used only for registration, guidelines and final submission.

Question 13

When does registration close?

Accepted Answer

Registration closes on 3 September 2026, the day before the build window opens.

Question 14

Can I change the category I registered for?

Accepted Answer

Yes — before the registration window closes you can go to the CANEX Create-thon page and update your profile to change your category. But once registration closes, your category selection is locked and you can only submit in that category.

Question 15

Can I start working before the official build window?

Accepted Answer

You can practice now — generate image assets, draft scripts, refine lyrics and test prompts in Dala Studio starting today. However, the official project generation and final editing (video clips, music tracks, game builds) must be done during the build window, 4–7 September.

Question 16

Can I prepare assets or a concept ahead of time and upload them?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You may prepare and upload assets, visual concepts or design drafts ahead of time. But the actual project generation and final development must take place during the official build window (4–7 September). Projects with creation timestamps before 4 September will not be accepted.

Question 17

Can I use another tool to generate or edit part of my project?

Accepted Answer

No. All generation must happen on Dala Studio; using other AI tools to generate content is not allowed and leads to disqualification. You may import your own external assets (e.g. custom images or audio you own) into the Dala editor, but the core creation must be on Dala.

Question 18

Dala / the AI agent feels slow — will it improve?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Our engineering team is actively working on performance enhancements and optimizations across the modules to ensure a smoother experience. Video and music generation also use a queue-based system, so processing can take longer during peak traffic.

Question 19

How do credits work during practice?

Accepted Answer

Standard free accounts receive 50 credits per day, capped at 300 credits per month, for practice. For music specifically, there is an additional cap of 3 track generations per month during the practice period.

Question 20

How many free credits will I get during the build window? Will it be enough?

Accepted Answer

During the official build window additional free credits and higher limits are allocated to every participant. These give you enough flexibility to create and complete your project.

Question 21

The 50 daily credits aren’t enough to practice — can I get more?

Accepted Answer

The practice allocation is 50 credits/day (300/month cap; music also capped at 3 track generations/month). Please use this to test and refine your prompts. The larger allocation of extra free credits and higher limits is reserved for the official build window, when you’ll have the flexibility you need to build.

Question 22

Will we get unlimited credits during the competition?

Accepted Answer

Not unlimited, but a generous additional free allocation and higher limits are provided to all participants during the build window so you can build comfortably. Manage your 50 daily credits during practice.

Question 23

What are the key dates?

Accepted Answer

Registration: 20 July – 3 September 2026. Creation/build window: 4–7 September 2026. Submission deadline: 8 September 2026. Public voting: 10–24 September 2026 (creators promote their project and rally votes). Community voting: 26 September – 4 October 2026. Expert voting: 8–15 October 2026. Winners announced: 19 October 2026. Prize distribution: 30 October 2026. CANEX WKND Festival (Lagos): 5–8 November 2026.

Question 24

When exactly can I start creating?

Accepted Answer

The official creation/build window opens on 4 September and runs through 7 September 2026. Practice can happen any time before that.

Question 25

How do I submit my project?

Accepted Answer

Once the build window opens on 4 September, a submission link is enabled on the CANEX page, right next to the guidelines. Build your project between 4 and 7 September and submit it through that link by 8 September 2026.

Question 26

When is the submission link available?

Accepted Answer

The submission link becomes available once the build window opens (4 September) and remains open until the submission deadline on 8 September 2026.

Question 27

What is the submission deadline?

Accepted Answer

8 September 2026. Submissions or project modifications made after the deadline will be disqualified.

Question 28

In what form do I submit my project?

Accepted Answer

You share your finished project as a Dala link — a track (Music), a trailer (Video), or a playable build / gameplay capture (Games). Important: make sure the Dala link is set to Public, not Private. If it’s private, voters and judges won’t be able to open your project.

Question 29

How will submissions be judged / selected?

Accepted Answer

There is a multi-stage process: (1) projects first pass an AI eligibility filter; (2) Public voting (10–24 September) — creators promote their project and rally votes; (3) Community voting (26 September – 4 October) — a community of creatives selects the Top 100; (4) Expert voting (8–15 October) — a panel of expert judges scores the Top 100 and selects the winners. Winners are announced on 19 October, with prize distribution on 30 October.

Question 30

What are the judging criteria and weightings?

Accepted Answer

Each finalist is scored 1–10 on each criterion, for a weighted total out of 100: Creativity & Originality 25%, Technical Execution & Craft 25%, Cultural Relevance & African Storytelling 20%, Creative Use of Dala Studio 15%, Real-World / Commercial Potential 15%.

Question 31

What are the prizes?

Accepted Answer

A US $50,000 prize pool. In each category (Music, Video, Games): 1st = $7,000, 2nd = $3,500, 3rd = $1,500. Plus a Top Creator award of $500 for each of the top 20 countries. The three top category winners also win a trip to the CANEX WKND Festival in Lagos, Nigeria.

Question 32

Can I win more than one prize?

Accepted Answer

Yes. A creator may qualify for more than one award, and eligible prizes may be combined (for example, a category prize plus a Top-Country award).

Question 33

How much does African storytelling matter to my score?

Accepted Answer

Cultural Relevance & African Storytelling accounts for 20% of the final judging score. Creators have full creative freedom, but submissions are encouraged to reflect African cultures, identities, languages, realities, folklore, aesthetics or soundscapes.

Question 34

Are the judges’ decisions final?

Accepted Answer

Yes. All submissions must follow the official rules, and all judging decisions are final.

Question 35

Can I start my video project before the build window?

Accepted Answer

You can generate image assets, draft scripts and test prompts now. But official video-clip generation and final editing must be completed during the build window, 4–7 September.

Question 36

Can I edit my video in CapCut or Premiere Pro?

Accepted Answer

No — video-clip generation and final editing must be done inside Dala Studio. You may, however, import external assets such as custom images or audio tracks into the Dala video editor.

Question 37

How do I make a 1–2 minute video out of short 5–15 second clips?

Accepted Answer

Dala generates short AI video clips of 5–15 seconds. You then use Dala’s built-in video editor to arrange, trim and concatenate those clips into your final 1–2 minute sequence.

Question 38

Why is video generation taking so long?

Accepted Answer

Dala uses a queue-based system for video generation. During high-traffic periods your video may take longer to process. Normally a generation takes about 5–10 minutes depending on prompt length and complexity.

Question 39

How many credits does a video use, and how do I practice within the 50-credit limit?

Accepted Answer

The number of credits a video uses depends on its length and the pixel/resolution quality you choose when generating. For example, a 15-second clip at a lower resolution uses about 15 credits, while a 15-second clip at 720p uses about 40 credits, and so on. For practice, use your 50 daily credits to refine prompts; a larger free credit allocation is provided during the official build window so you can generate freely.

Question 40

Can I submit my video in a local or native African language?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but English is recommended because the competition spans the continent. If you tell your story in a local language, you must include English subtitles so the expert judges can evaluate the narrative.

Question 41

How do I create AI talking characters vs. adding my own voice-over?

Accepted Answer

Talking characters can be generated directly using specific AI prompts. Voice-over narration should be recorded separately and uploaded into the editor timeline.

Question 42

Can images, audio and scripts be generated before 4 September?

Accepted Answer

Yes — image assets, scripts and test prompts can be prepared before the build window. But official video-clip generation and final editing must happen during 4–7 September.

Question 43

Can I reuse the prompt I made during practice?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can use the same prompt. In fact, use the practice period to refine and test prompts so you get the best possible output during the build window. (This is a common question across all modules — the same applies to Video and Games.)

Question 44

Can I enter with a gospel song?

Accepted Answer

Yes, gospel songs are welcome. Any genre is allowed — Afrobeats, amapiano, highlife, gqom, gospel, drill and more.

Question 45

Can I use multiple languages in my track?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can use multiple languages. English subtitles are recommended, because the competition spans the continent and we want everyone to understand the depth of your lyrics.

Question 46

Can I build parts (verse, chorus, bridge) separately and edit them on another platform?

Accepted Answer

No. All music must be created and developed on Dala Studio; using any other tool to generate or assemble your music is not allowed. Explore Dala fully — for example, use Dala chat to write lyrics and refine your prompts for better results.

Question 47

What are the judging criteria and selection process for music?

Accepted Answer

The same as all categories: an AI eligibility filter, then public voting, then community-of-creatives selection of the Top 100, then expert-judge scoring. Weighted criteria: Creativity & Originality 25%, Technical Execution 25%, Cultural Relevance 20%, Creative Use of Dala 15%, Commercial Potential 15%.

Question 48

The practice limit isn’t enough — can I get more for music practice?

Accepted Answer

For music, practice is capped at 3 track generations per month. In the meantime you can keep refining your lyrics and prompts (for example using Dala chat) so you’re ready to go. During the competition build window, additional credits and higher limits are provided so you can generate your final track.

Question 49

Will I get enough credits to build a game?

Accepted Answer

For practice you have 50 credits/day (300/month cap). During the official build window additional free credits and higher limits are allocated to all participants so you can build with flexibility.

Question 50

Can I create my own games outside the competition too?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. You’re encouraged to keep building personal or professional projects on Dala Studio beyond the competition.

Question 51

Who owns the game after the competition?

Accepted Answer

You do — full ownership. Neither Gebeya, Afreximbank, nor any partner holds any IP claim over your game.

Question 52

Can my game be an educational simulation, not just entertainment?

Accepted Answer

Yes, absolutely. Games that deliver real-world impact, educational value or problem-solving simulations are highly encouraged.

Question 53

If I already have a game design or visual concept, can I upload it to Dala?

Accepted Answer

Yes — you may prepare and upload assets, visual concepts or design drafts ahead of time. But the actual game generation and final development must happen during the build window (4–7 September).

Question 54

Is the game module open for building now?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Version 1 of the game module is live on Dala Studio for testing and building, with updates and enhancements being deployed continuously.

Question 55

How can I make a simple game stand out and win?

Accepted Answer

Games are judged only against other games, by a dedicated expert panel, so you’re never compared to music or video entries. Remember ‘playable beats polished’ — judges reward creativity, originality and African storytelling, not visual gloss. A few ways to punch above your weight:

Weird theme mashup: Combine two unexpected concepts to make your game instantly memorable to judges.
Juice & feedback: Add screen shake, particles and bouncy animations to make basic actions feel great.
Custom audio: Use unique sound effects and catchy chiptunes instead of generic or silent backgrounds.
Quirky narrative: Inject funny dialogue or a strange story to give simple mechanics a strong personality.
Polished, tight scope: Perfect one single gameplay mechanic rather than trying to build complex, broken features.

Question 56

Can I make a 3D game, or only 2D?

Accepted Answer

For the Create-thon, please build a 2D game. The 3D capability is still in development and most likely will not be ready in time for the competition, so plan your entry as a 2D game.

Question 57

Will 3D be available before the competition?

Accepted Answer

Most likely not — 3D is still being worked on and we don’t expect it to be ready for the Create-thon. We recommend you plan and build a 2D game for your submission.

Question 58

Does it have to be a single game, or can I make a platform game?

Accepted Answer

You submit one playable game build in the Games category. Within that, the genre is up to you — and yes, a platformer is a classic 2D genre, so a platform game works perfectly for a 2D entry. Just keep it rooted in the continent and playable.

Question 59

How do I sell a game after the competition?

Accepted Answer

You keep full ownership, so monetization is entirely your choice. Your game is shareable as a Dala link, and you’re free to develop and commercialize it however you wish beyond the competition.

Question 60

How can I contact customer support?

Accepted Answer

Use the in-product support bot on Dala Studio for quick help — it’s the fastest way to get assistance while you build. For anything it can’t resolve, email the Create-thon support team at create-thon@gebeya.com.

Question 61

Where are the official rules?

Accepted Answer

On the Competition Guidelines page: canex.gebeya.com/guidelines. It covers eligibility, categories, submission rules, judging criteria, awards and key dates.