For the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Comic Con Africa returns with the organizers of the event hoping the festivities will help to restart and deepen the connection between the global comic and manga industry, with its vibrant and growing African fan base. Comic Con Africa will be held from September 22 – 25, 2022 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Initially held in 2018, Comic Con Africa was the first comic convention of its type on the African continent. Organized by ReedPop, the people behind New York Comic Con, Star Wars Celebration, and the Emerald City Comic Con, Comic Con Africa was modeled on the San Diego Comic-Con, with the belief that there was an opportunity to offer the continent’s already large and growing fan base for American comic books and Japanese manga something that was common for fans in other regions but not Africa, namely the chance for fans to gather together for a few days each year to share their passion and interests in all thing comics and manga. The organizers further believed that a Comic Con could serve as a great opportunity to invite comic and manga content creators, influencers, and publishers to Africa to talk and connect directly to their local audiences. South Africa was chosen as the venue as a result of it being a crossroads for Africa as well as the world. ReedPop’s perceptions were absolutely correct, as the inaugural Comic Con Africa sold out before the convention even began.
In 2019, Comic Con Africa continued the success that the inaugural event started. It was held in a bigger venue that was supported by bigger sponsors. It had more exhibitions, expanded its topics of coverage, and was attended by a significantly larger number of participants, including more visitors from other African countries as well as internationally. By all metrics, it seemed that Comic Con Africa would soon take its place as one of the top international Comic Con events. But as a result of COVID-19, South Africa, and the world, closed down. Comic Con Africa’s live and in-person events were canceled in 2020 as the organizers moved the convention online. In 2021, as the country was experiencing a third COVID-19 outbreak, the organizers decided to postpone the convention until September 2022.
With the extra time that the organizers had to plan for the event, the decision was made to make up for the lost time by making the 2022 event the biggest Comic Con Africa ever. Based on the convention guide, the organizers are staying true to their word. First, the convention will take place in the Johannesburg Expo Centre, a centrally located behemoth that can seat over 75,000 visitors. That this the venue for this year’s event is substantially larger than those used in 2018 and 2019. Most importantly there will be much more for comic and manga fans to do. Indeed, with specific events organized under the categories of “Anine and Manga”, “Comics and Art”, “Cosplay”, and “Celebs and Guests”, comic and manga fans will not want for activities to participate in and enjoy. While making fans happy is the ultimate goal, Comic Con Africa 2022 also hopes to establish and develop a platform for local content creators can show their works.
It’s a great time for Comic Con Africa to make its return. As African creators raised on American comics and Japanese manga look to take a page from those industries and tell their own stories or reinterpret the world of superhero and cyberpunk stories with an African flavor. Indeed, with fandom in local as well as international content growing, Comic Con Africa not only provides an important venue for fans from across the continent to share, grow, and develop, but also offers the opportunity to make creativity viable.
