The African continent rarely comes to mind when hearing the words ‘comic’ or ‘Comic Con’, mostly due to the historical context. The year 2018 changed the narrative as the first Comic Con took place, with alternating shows between Johannesburg and Cape Town, and in 2024, the event has grown and is thriving.
Set to take place at the Johannesburg Expo Centre, Comic Con is set to return for its fifth edition, with plenty of exciting elements in store for attendees to enjoy. At the core of this expo, is the need to highlight and encourage self-expression regardless of cultural background, physical ability, or personal identity.
“Comic Con Africa is a platform that highlights how large geek culture actually is in South Africa. Fandoms can be a cornerstone for identity, continuity, and community and that is something everyone relates to, I believe this is one of the reasons the show keeps growing and will continue to, with more people entering the community each year and being exposed to a world that celebrates pop culture and gaming, who find the festival to be a space a self-expressive and judgement free environment, makes it the ‘happy place’ we work hard to create,” Comic Con Africa show director Carla Massmann told EyeWitness News
Gaming is also a large part of the entire event, and the expo is set to house free-to-play zones and tournaments where competitive and casual gamers can showcase their skills. Tabletop gaming will also be available, as attendees will get an opportunity to step away from the screen to enjoy a more interactive form of gaming.
The Entellect challenge will also form part of the show, where coding students will compete against one another to create the ultimate bot, that will be navigating the Sproutopia game. Furthermore, in partnership with ‘Toys R Us’, the expo will also include ‘KidsCon’, a space dedicated to offering the latest collectables.
One of the more exciting elements of Comic Con Africa will be the Korean Night Market, inspired by the famous Netflix original series ‘Squid Game’.
“Bestie, get ready for the ultimate geek fest! ? Comic Con is coming and we’re bringing you a Korean Night Market, gaming galore, and a Squid Game experience that’ll leave you breathless! Don’t miss out!” the caption reads.
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