Comic Con Africa is one of the biggest events of the year, hosting over 70,000 people across a span of 4 days. This year, Comic Con was host to a number of events, and international and local artist appearances.



From the main voice acting cast of popular TV series Rick and Morty, to the South African cast of the live action One Piece filmed in our very own Cape Town, to Richard T. Jones, who plays the popular Wade Grey in TV series The Rookie, to Christopher Judge, iconic voice of Kratos himself from the popular God of War video games, there was something for everyone in terms of international panels and meet-and-greets.



In terms of international guests for the comic book lovers, we had Dave McCaig, Jim Cheung, Mike Rooth, Mostafa Moussa, and writer Sam Humphries, all having worked for Marvel and DC comics. Also invited were local comic artists Clyde Beech, who works on popular local comic Supa Strikers, and Jason Masters and Sean Izaakse who have also worked for Marvel and DC comics.



The main hall hosted the main stage, where the international talent hosted their panels, as well as the Book Nook Chapter 2, the Pop-taku stage (central place for al things anime), a variety of stalls with activations that you could participate in (such as Amazon, Disney+, a Burger King x Dragon Ball Z collaboration, and so on), a maid café, and some stalls that you could shop at.

The Book Nook Chapter 2 saw an increase in the variety of content it provided, with small independent South African romance authors such as Sevannah Storm, Amanda Holly, Riley Sloan, and Simi Ramdutt in attendence. There were also some small indie publishing houses in attendance as well, promoting some of the books which they have published. Jonathan Ball Publishers was there in spirit, with a mini pop-up photobooth opportunity for fans of Sarah J. Maas’s universes, specifically to promote the release of book 6 in her A Court of Thorns and Roses series.



The Artist Alley hall was home to a variety of small-scale creators and artists selling their artworks in the forms of prints, badges, stickers, tote bags, and more. The hall was also home to the Content Creator Stage, where a variety of guests shared their knowledge about art, business management as an artist, and various how-tos. There were also some tattoo stalls where you could get tattooed if you so desired, and at the back of the hall was the waiting space for the photo opportunities and signings with the international talent.

Wandering about in abundance were a multitude of cosplayers, with portrayals of many different characters from many different anime, games, books, and TV shows, including but not limited to Demon Slayer, The Apothecary Diaries, Sarah J. Maas’s Throne of Glass universe, Genshin Impact, and even some characters from popular Disney movies.



The last hall, or gaming hall, was home to the gaming, esports, and technology side of the convention, with stalls from Computer Mania, ASUS, and Incredible Connection set up for selling new game-based tech. Additionally, fans were allowed to test out new consoles and games, and participate in various competitions and interactive experiences. Telkom hosted some esports leagues, while Red Bull hosted their Red Bull Wings Cup, and Toyota brought in a new game called “Load the Hilux”. There was also a car drifting experience hosted outside the gaming hall where fans could experience what it is like to be in a drifting car.

All in all, I would say that Comic Con Africa 2026 was a big success, and it’ll be interesting to see what kinds of events and experiences it will bring to us next year.

Written by Samantha Crerar