Comic Con Africa with Capitec is the continent’s ultimate pop culture and gaming festival, returning in 2026 from 24 to 27 September for its 7th edition at the Johannesburg Expo Centre, Nasrec. Over four fun-packed days, 70,000 con-goers converge at the festival to celebrate and enjoy all their favourite pop culture fandoms, including cosplay, comics, art and artists both local and international, gaming, tech shopping, anime, licensed merchandise and collectibles, board games and tabletop RPGs, the opportunity to meet international celebs from TV and film, family fun, experience interactions with brands, and create unique memories with their friends and families. With specifics of the activities emerging over the coming weeks, here’s a very quick lowdown on the festival’s main features.

Cosplay

Cosplayers create and wear perfect replicas of their favourite characters from pop culture. Think Marvel and DC superheroes like Spider-Man or Wonder Woman, X-Men’s Wolverine, Star Wars Stormtroopers, anime characters from shows like One Piece and Dragon Ball Z, gaming characters like God of War’s Kratos, or film and series characters like the Addams Family, Sarah Connor, Deadpool, and more. Cosplayers get to enter exciting daily competitions with awesome prizes, or compete in the Cosplay Championships – the winner gets an expenses-paid trip to compete in the UK in 2027! Comic Con Africa is where professional and casual cosplayers get together to show off their cosplays and connect with their people.

Comics and Art

Comic Con Africa brings together 200+ local artists, international artists, and crafters in the festival’s Artist Alley. Here festival-goers can meet artists, buy artworks, and have their comic memorabilia signed by international comic artists who attend the con to meet and interact with their fans. It’s an incredible opportunity to see what’s popping with art in South Africa. Artist Alley has a stage that shares exciting talks on breaking into the art industry, tips on improving skills, and character development, and showcases fun sketch battles with professional artists. Spotlight artists include comic artists Mike Rooth, Mostafa Moussa, Sean Izaakse and others, and street artists Moe Lycaen and Alaster. Comic writer Sam Humphries will also be in Artist Alley.

Gaming and Tech

The convention is the place to experience the latest gaming consoles, watch epic esports tournaments and finales with huge prize pools from the likes of Telkom VS Gaming, support esports players, play the latest games in free-to-play zones, and learn more about beloved gaming brands. Daily free-to-enter competitions and championships from Red Bull, Toyota, and more enable fans to walk away with cash and product prizes. And on top of it all, huge names in computing come to the con to drop incredible tech specials and sell computing hardware.

Anime and Otaku Culture

Anime is HUGE in South Africa. Comic Con Africa is where fans can celebrate Anime and meet other fans of shows like One Piece, Naruto, Demon Slayer, and Bleach , or remember classic Anime films like Ghost In The Shell, and cosplay as their favourite characters. Comic Con Africa has the Otaku Town area which is packed with Japanese retailers and exciting activities focussed on Anime. Here is where fans can find first-to-country merchandise and collectibles, enjoy Japanese food, and immerse themselves in Otaku culture. There are also activations to celebrate 30 years of Pokémon, which is happening now in 2026.

Shopping and Collectibles

An abundance of licensed merchandise and collectibles are for sale at Comic Con Africa. Here is where collectors of pop culture can grow their collections with unique and rare collectibles like figurines, clothing, comics, manga, art, Funko Pops, posters, and more. Top tip for serious collectors: the Capitec Super Fan Pass gets festival-goers access to the show floor half an hour early to snap up the incredible deals and show specials found all over the festival. There are tons of vendors offering unseen products, merchandise never seen before in South Africa, boardgames, rare comics, and more – and many are show special deals that will make jaws drop.

Boardgames and RPGs

Boardgames and tabletop role playing games are growing in South Africa – in an age where screen time dominates, board games and tabletop RPGs are all about re-connecting in real life and face-to-face. They are known for inspiring imagination, encouraging creativity, creating communities, and deepening friendships. Learn about RPG dice games like Dungeons and Dragons and strategy boardgames like Catan from Solarpop and UnplugYourself teachers at the con – no previous experience whatsoever is required. Shop games, grow your collections, and meet up with fellow enthusiasts at Comic Con Africa.

Family Fun with KidsCon and More

There is loads for families to see and do at Comic Con Africa. It’s a completely unique weekend activities for little ones and teens. Craft activities, dress-up, kid-friendly gaming, fun activations, and art and animation workshops abound. The KidsCon Zone brings over 1,200sqm of activates and its own stage to the con. Favourite characters like Mario & Luigi and other well-knowns roam the halls, ready to take snaps with excited young fans. Co-located with Comic Con Africa is the CTIAF (Cape Town International Animation Festival) which brings young folk 12+ the opportunity to learn how to get into animation as a career with educational hands-on workshops.

Film and Series Celebs

Comic Con Africa bring international celebs to the Highveld. This year the show brings the voices behind Rick, Morty, and Summer from the cult-classic animation Rick & Morty – Ian Cardoni, Harry Belden, and Spencer Grammer. Christopher Judge, the voice actor behind the game God of War’s character Kratos will be in attendance, alongside Alison Sealy-Smith who voices X-Men’s Storm. For TV series fans, The Rookie’s Ricard T Jones, AKA Wade Grey, will be at the con. Stars from the live action of One Piece like Jazzara Jasslyn (Miss Valentine), Nahum Hughes (Bartolomeo), and Martial T Batchamen (Brook) and Steven John Ward (Dracule Mihawk) will be attending the con. These titans of film and TV will take part in live Q&A sessions on the con’s Main Stage which all con-goers can attend. For big fans, additional ticket purchases can be made for them to take photos with, or have memorabilia signed by, these stars.

Experiences With Brands

Comic Con Africa brings together big brands to interact with. Capitec brings an immersive and exciting interactive activation to the show in 2026 which will see fans taking place in activities to win great prizes. Disney brings exciting daily quizzes to the Main Stage. Burger King has something exciting on their burners, and Kellogg’s and Sea Harvest have fun plans up their sleeves. Fanta, Red Bull, Toyota, Incredible Connection, and Telkom are also at the festival – and too many more to mention.

Immaculate Outdoor Vibes

The outdoor festival vibes at Comic Con Africa are immaculate. There is a World War Two LARPing re-enactment zone, axe-throwing (don’t panic – it’s safe!), and outdoor precision driving track from Toyota, two electric scooter tracks from both Xiaomi and Incredible Connection, and lawn games. Three Food Truck Villages offer delicious meals all day long. Outdoor stages feature K-Pop performances and singers, and loads of comfy outdoor seating areas offers places for friends and families to take in the festival while enjoying the Joburg sunlight.

So Much To Enjoy

There is so much to experience at Comic Con Africa. Keep an eye out on the show’s social media and in the press for more information on the specifics of this one-of-a-kind, must-attend festival. In 2026 it takes place 24 to 27 September from 09h00 to 18h00 daily at the Johannesburg Expo Centre, Nasrec. It’s your happy place, and it’s absolutely unmissable.