The pop culture scene is alive and well in South Africa, with the rise of events like Comic Con Africa, Comic Con Cape Town and rAge Expo all providing escapes for gamers, geeks, artists and more. Hobby-X has been steadily climbing up that totem too; an annual event centred on hobby enthusiasts and their love of arts, model kits, printing, and crafts. This year inspired creativity among its visitors, urging them to engage with their hobbies on a deeper level while opening the doors wide open to curious newcomers.

Hobby-X took place at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit in Johannesburg earlier this week, attracting crowds of hobby-goers eager to get hands-on with their favourite hobbies from tabletop gaming, model kits, gaming, and a variety of activities that showcases the best and most talented that South Africa has to offer. Your usual suspects including Nexus Hub and LEGO were all in attendance. However, there was a lot more than just the gaming and geek scene to digest as Cricut, one of the most popular arts-and-crafts brands in South Africa, proved to be just as popular at the event.




To start, Evo-Bond brought an incredible, super-fast and super effective glue (literally dries and sticks in six seconds) to the showcase - which will surely come in handy for anyone into crafting or construction. A tabletop gaming section, which formed part of the larger Nexus Hub area at the convention, called The Warp dedicated its space to getting newcomers interested in the magic of Warhammer 40,000 miniature customisation with various workshops taking place throughout the event.

On that note, Nexus Hub had a particularly sizeable and strong presence at Hobby-X, covering model kits, tabletop gaming, video games, collectibles, board games, comic books, and a variety of other geek-centric products.



In case you missed it, rare Pop Marts are now available at Nexus Hub (in limited supply) and they were one of the highlights of the show. These must-have collectibles, themed after various pop culture brands and characters, are a collector’s dream if you’re interested in hopping on a trend sweeping social media. They’re cute, well-made and in pretty high-demand, making them a key attraction for avid collectors and curious customers looking to decorate their homes with more than just Funko Pops. The adorable Labubu plush toy key chains are also in very high demand and luckily, Nexus Hub has them in stock right now.

Rare Pop Marts and Labubu plush toy key chains are now available at Nexus Hub (in limited supply) and they were one of the highlights of the show.

Away from the glamour of pop culture, lifestyle products and items were also a big attraction for attendees, including Spilpak, a paper dispenser made from durable plastic that would comfortably fit in your kitchen and make dispensing paper towels so much easier. Meanwhile, N-Gage Guild offered model railroad building with highly detailed miniatures of trains, tracks and environments that looked stunning and handcrafted by some very talented artists.



GUNPLA SA, a provider of Gundam model kits in the country, piqued the curiosity of attendees hoping to get into the world of Gundam model building. It doesn’t just stop at Gundam, though – and you don’t even necessarily have to be a fan or knowledgeable in Gundam to get into the craft – but the company’s range also extended into everything from Pokemon to Dragon Ball Z and more.



Huion partnered with ASUS ProArt to inspire creators and artists alike. With its range of creative pen displays and tablets for drawing, it was one of the bigger attractions of Hobby-X, allowing attendees to try out the various products on display and unlock their artistic sides. More importantly, it was also a demonstration of the tools for aspiring artists to lean towards in their profession, catering to a wide market of creatives.

Huion partnered with ASUS ProArt to inspire creators and artists alike. With its range of creative pen displays and tablets for drawing...

Last but not least, Cricut also did what it does best and give people a reason to engage with the actual process of creating custom designs with its smart cutting machines, allowing you to make customised cards, unique apparel, everyday items and much more for your personal use or as a way to make personalized gifts for others. Cricut had a large presence at Hobby-X where it showcased its latest cutting machines, and examples of some of the designs you can make with them. A secret sale also took place exclusively for attendees at Hobby-X, featuring cut down vinyls, iron-on selections, and blanks.



Hobby-X has come and gone, though it can only get bigger from here. This year’s event showed its commitment to become one of the leading shows for hobbyists, diversifying its range of activities and hobbies for visitors to view, buy, and try out themselves. With more people showing up each year, it’s an event that I personally wish to see gain more traction in South Africa and bring more attention to the niche and popular hobbies that consume our everyday lives. This is where our real passions come to light.