More than 80,000 fans expected to attend Comic Con Africa

More than 80,000 people are expected to attend Comic Con Africa 2023 at the Johannesburg Expo Centre (Nasrec) from the 22^nd to the 25^th of September 2023.

This was announced by Carol Weaving, the CEO of RX Africa, the pop culture and gaming festival organiser, during the official launch at Cracker Zac’s in Rosebank Mall on Tuesday night.

Over the long weekend, fans from across the country will have the opportunity to meet some of their favourite celebrities and content creators.

“We are very excited about this year’s event. As you know we were at Kyalami, Gallager and the expo centre. This is our fourth show at the same venue which is amazing for us because as organisers we learnt from everything that was not perfect last year.”

Saturday general access tickets and weekend passes have already been sold out.

International guests

During the launch, excitement was drawn to the international film and series stars that will be attending the exhibition and festival, including:

• Anthony Daniels, renowned for his iconic role as C-3PO in the Star Wars saga
• Veronica Taylor, famed as the original English voice of Ash Ketchum in Pokémon
• Ross Marquand, known for his roles as Aaron in The Walking Dead as well as Red Skull in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame
• John Barrowman, the iconic fan-favourite Captain Jack Harkness from Doctor Who and Torchwood as well as Malcolm Merlyn in the Arrowverse across the TV shows Arrow, The Flash, and Legends of Tomorrow
• Denim Richards, the recently announced addition to the lineup, features as Colby Mayfield in the hit series Yellowstone.

Local and international comic book artists will also feature at the event, including Nooligan, who has stamped his impact on pop culture and the comic universe with his iconic range of statues designed for DC Comics.

ALSO READ: Iconic ‘Star Wars’ character C-3PO heading to Comic Con Africa

Local stars

Comic Con Africa will also showcase South African actors who are creating waves both within South African borders and on the global stage.

This year, Comic Con Africa will highlight two local celebrities, including Steven John Ward, who portrays Mihawk in Netflix’s recent live-action adaptation of the iconic anime series One Piece

“Cameron Scott, South African writer, producer, and actor – having written and starred in the acclaimed short film Ring of Beasts and having featured in Netflix’s The Kissing Booth 3 and the Bachelorette SA will also feature at Comic Con Africa,” the organisers said.

The organisers said as a staple of Comic Con Africa – Cosplay (dressing up) remains a huge attraction for fans.

“Whether it’s grabbing a photo opportunity with someone dressed as your favourite character, or if it’s escaping the real world and entering the realm of your favourite franchise.”

Fans are encouraged to purchase their tickets for R200 through Howler.

ALSO READ: Thousands attend Comic Con Africa on Heritage Day