Comic Con Africa 2026 Johannesburg Guide and Recap

Updated 5 times · Latest: 16 October 2026

Comic Con Africa 2026 took over the Johannesburg Expo Centre in NASREC from September 24 through 27, not the Sandton venue some earlier listings named. Saturday 26 September sold out, and day tickets cost R270 (about US$16.55) through Howler.

The continent’s biggest pop-culture convention returned to Johannesburg in September, filling four days with cosplay, gaming and celebrity panels at its usual sprawling venue.

Comic Con Africa 2026 Johannesburg: Correcting the Venue

Comic Con Africa 2026 ran at the Johannesburg Expo Centre in NASREC from September 24 through 27, correcting earlier listings that had pointed attendees toward Sandton instead.

NASREC has hosted the convention in past years and offers the large hall space Comic Con Africa needs for its exhibitor floor, gaming zones and multiple panel stages.

Four Days of Programming

The convention’s four-day run mixes cosplay competitions, tabletop and video gaming areas, and a packed schedule of celebrity guest panels drawing fans from across the country and the wider region.

As Africa’s largest event of its kind, Comic Con Africa typically draws exhibitors and guests well beyond South Africa’s borders, giving it a genuinely continental scale.

How the Four Days Went

Day 1 opened on Heritage Day, Thursday 24 September, with Saturday tickets already sold out. Day 2 on Friday brought cosplay qualifiers, esports and 300-plus vendors. Day 3, the sold-out Saturday, hosted the Championship of Cosplay final, esports and the same 300-plus vendors, with no tickets at the door.

Day 4 was the closing Sunday at NASREC, with doors open from 09:00 to 18:00 and day tickets at R270 (about US$16.55) via Howler. Our reports cover Day 1, Day 2, Day 3 and Day 4.

Buying Tickets Through Howler

Single-day tickets cost R270 (about US$16.55), while a four-day pass covering the entire run costs R750 (about US$46), both sold through Howler, the event’s official ticketing platform.

Given Comic Con Africa’s popularity, buying tickets in advance rather than at the door was the safer approach: Saturday sold out, with no tickets at the door.

Why the NASREC Location Matters

NASREC’s location in southern Johannesburg places it near other major venues the city uses for large-scale events, with established parking and transport infrastructure built around exactly this kind of high-attendance convention.

Visitors who had bookmarked Sandton-based directions from outdated listings should specifically re-check their route to NASREC instead, since the two locations are a meaningful distance apart within the city.

What Newcomers Can Expect

First-time attendees should expect an experience similar to major international comic conventions: extensive cosplay, a large vendor and artist floor, and panels featuring both regional and international guests.

The event’s continental scale means lines and crowds can build quickly at popular panels, so arriving early for high-demand sessions is worth planning for.

Getting to the Johannesburg Expo Centre

The venue sits in NASREC, reachable by car or rideshare from most parts of Johannesburg, with dedicated event parking typically available given the venue’s frequent use for large conventions.

Given the four-day run, visitors planning multiple days should factor in Johannesburg’s typical weekday versus weekend traffic patterns when timing their trips to NASREC.

What It Costs, and the One Day You Cannot Get Into

Saturday 26 September sold out. That was the most useful fact for anyone planning a trip, and it applied to the busiest day of the four.

A single-day pass for the other days is 270 rand, about US$16.55, and a four-day pass is 750 rand, roughly US$46. Children of five and under enter free and groups of ten or more get 15 percent off.

Prices rise in phases, so older listings quoting 250 rand are out of date. Parking is 50 rand a day, about US$3, and must be pre-booked.

Photo sessions and autographs are bought separately, from 300 to 1,500 rand, roughly US$18 to US$92, and still require a general admission ticket.

Who Is Coming, and What Is On

The announced guests include Christopher Judge, who voices Kratos in God of War and played Teal’c in Stargate, and Alison Sealy-Smith, the voice of Storm in the X-Men animated series.

The Rick and Morty voice cast come as a group, with Ian Cardoni, Harry Belden and Spencer Grammer, alongside Richard T. Jones of The Rookie and the comic artists Jim Cheung and Mike Rooth.

The floor holds an Artist Alley of local and international creators, more than 300 vendors, gaming and esports arenas, a Japanese culture zone, a children’s area and outdoor activations including axe-throwing and food trucks.

One rule sets this convention apart from most. It bans the sale of any product or artwork made wholly or substantially with generative artificial intelligence, which is a live argument in Artist Alleys worldwide.

The show opened on Heritage Day, a South African public holiday, which is why a convention starts on a Thursday. Anyone under sixteen must be accompanied by an adult of at least twenty-one.

More: South Africa news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

The big picture: South Africa explained — economy, politics, society and daily life in one read.

What Comes Next for Comic Con Africa

The organisers have not announced dates for the 2027 edition, and we found no announcement as of 16 October 2026. The official Comic Con Africa site and Howler are where dates and ticket sales will appear first.

Our day-by-day reports on the four days are linked in the section on how the days went above.

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