We’re officially ONE WEEK from Comic Con Africa 2024, which is taking place 26 – 29 September at the JHB Expo Centre in Johannesburg. Crunching cosplayers, breathe into a paper bag right now!

If you’ve attended a CCA before, you’ll have an idea of what to expect from the annual pop culture celebration: opportunities to engage with international stars and celebrated comic/cosplay/literary/social media creators, a diverse artists alley, exclusive collectibles, cosplay (and cosplay competitions) of all skill levels, gaming challenges with hefty prizes on the line, quizzes, community presentations and panels, miniatures painting, after dark events, and, of course, geek culture proudly on display over the course of four days.

All this said, this article is more interested in what’s new for CCA in 2024. We also advise that you check out the CCA 2024 full programme here, and download the mobile app to stay on top of schedule changes. Comic Con Africa showtimes are 9am to 6pm on all four days. Day passes are R200 (please note that Saturday, 28 September is already sold out), while kids 5 and under attend free. Get your tickets online here through Howler.

1. New international guests

Every Comic Con Africa (and Comic Con Cape Town) brings new – and sometimes even returning – guests to South Africa. It’s also a chance to spotlight local creators who are making the country proud with their internationally-recognised artistic contributions. You can check out every CCA 2024 guest and speaker here; below are just a couple of highlights, making the trek from overseas.

While Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them star Dan Fogler had to pull out of CCA 2024 last minute, there are two towering men (literally) coming to the show. First up is Joe Manganiello, who not only has acted in the likes of True Blood, Magic Mike and Zack Snyder’s DCU, but also is a massive DnD nerd. Then there’s Lou Ferrigno, a Mr Universe winner and contemporary of Arnold Schwarzenegger, who would be the first actor to play the Incredible Hulk (no CGI here!) in the beloved 1978-1982 TV series. Be aware that Manganiello and Ferrigno are only appearing on select days of CCA: Friday to Sunday, and Thursday to Saturday respectively.

Note: As this article went live, Brenton Thwaites was added to the guest line-up as well. Appearing on Saturday and Sunday, the Australian actor is probably best known for playing Dick Grayson/Robin in Titans, and Henry Turner in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.

On the cosplay front, fans can engage with three international favourites on all four days of the con: CutiePieSensei out of the US; award-winning crafter Yuji Koi, who was born in Vietnam; and a returning Har_Fie out of the UK.

As for celebrated creators working on the page, there’s bestselling fantasy author Samantha Shannon (of The Bone Season and The Priory of the Orange Tree fame), who is present on CCA 2024’s Saturday and Sunday. Meanwhile, comic creators present on all four days include Wonder Woman: Earth One’s Eisner-nominated and Shuster Award-winner Yanick Paquette (who last visited South Africa for FanCon 2018); Amazing Spider-Man and Spectacular Spider-Man favourite Humberto Ramos, who not only designed the character of Silk but also co-created Strange Academy for Marvel; and writer-artist Dan Parent, whose resume includes introducing Archie Comics’ first openly gay character, and co-creating indie hit Die Kitty Die. Cover artist Guile Sharp out of France is back as well to launch his fan-driven South African superhero tale Dark Lion.

2. A new layout for the show

We were huge fans of last year’s spacious floor plan so it’ll be interesting to compare it with the 2024 arrangement. We’re saying this because CCA is shifting things around again – and the primary Pop Culture Hall (Hall 6) is looking packed.

Notably, Artists Alley returns to Hall 6 after enjoying a dedicated space down the stairs in Hall 7 last year. In 2024, all the crafters and creators, including comic guests, will be found to the left of the Main Stage, where the cosplay was set up last year. This means that Cosplay Central shifts to the near left corner of the Hall. Otaku Town and Unplugyourself’s tabletop gaming zone are all still found in the main hall as well.

Down-the-stairs Hall 7 will now be split into three areas. Here you’ll find the Toys “R” Us-sponsored KidsCon space, which once again will be conveniently all-in-one after fragmenting last year; along with Nu Metro’s pop-up cinema (more about that below); and the section for celebrity autographs, meet-and-greets and photo opportunities.

As in 2023, Hall 5 is where all the gaming action is at. That said, it’s been renamed the Experience Hall as it will house both gaming and additional activations, like the AXE Experience, which promises a virtual reality journey through taste, smell, and touch, inside a special dome.

Finally, there’s Comic Con Africa’s outdoor area, where you can get some fresh air, plus rehydrate and reenergise thanks to the various food truck villages. Outside, you can also enjoy attractions like live music and dance, Larping, and this year’s first-ever World War Two re-enactment, along with a Toy Museum.

3. Goodbye to queues with KFC and Uber Eats

There’s so much packed into every day of CCA that you don’t want to lose precious time to standing in queues. Which is why KFC, the event’s official presenting sponsor for the fourth time, is rejigging their Kentucky Town pop-up experience.

You’ll still be able to order items off the exclusive CCA menu, pick up KFC merch and sauces, and take part in various interactive experiences (like a VR challenge), but this time Kentucky Town is moving inside the Pop Culture Hall (Hall 6), next to the Main Stage. Most importantly, there’s a new streamlined system to getting your food. Use Uber Eats to place your order, and then simply wait for an alert to collect your meal from Kentucky Town. That’s it. No more lining up in the sun.

As for what’s on this year’s limited edition Comic Con Africa KFC Menu, look out for the likes of the OP fried chicken and donut combo, BRB Dunked Pops, green-bunned The Other Guy Burger and Cosmic Cherry Boba.

4. A new pop-up cinema experience from Nu Metro

As already mentioned, a chunk of Hall 7 is going to be devoted to Nu Metro’s pop-up cinema, which will be screening brand-new releases and even a couple of premieres for the country. Oh, yes, and they’re free for con ticket holders. You just need to book your seat for the day’s screening on a first-come-first-first-serve basis, then arrive 30 minutes before the show to claim your spot. Popcorn and Slushies will be on sale 45 minutes prior to each screening.

As for the movie line-up, it’s as follows:

  • Thursday, 26 Sept: 13h00 – 15h00 Transformers One (SOLD OUT)
  • Friday, 27 Sept: 15h00 – 17h00 Hellboy: The Crooked Man
  • Saturday, 28 Sept: 15h00 – 17h00 Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (SOLD OUT)
  • Sunday, 29 Sept: 16h00 – 18h00 Panda Bear in Africa

5. Big activations and experiences from the likes of Disney+, Netflix and AXE

We’ve touched on a few of these already (specifically the Nu Metro cinema and AXE Experience), but CCA 2024 is really upping its activations quotient.

Following last year’s hit Only Murders in the Building experience, Disney+ is letting fans walk the Witches’ Road in celebration of their new MCU series, Agatha All Along, which serves as a spin-off and follow-on from WandaVision. You’ll find the Agatha All Along experience in Hall 6. That’s also where you can experience Netflix’s Squid Game activation, to build hype for the smash hit’s second season, which drops this December. In addition to a chance to win Squid Game merchandise, you’ll be able to try out Netflix Games and enjoy a Korean Night Market.

6. Geek Meet & Mingle events are debuting in Joburg

Over 18 and want to meet like-minded pop culture fans? Obviously you can do that informally every day at CCA, but this year’s show includes the Johannesburg debut of Geek Meet & Mingle, a more structured socialising event.

Geek Meet & Mingle was launched at Comic Con Cape Town in April this year, but is now running at CCCT’s sibling event on Thursday and Friday (26 – 27 September) at the Pop Culture stage. Times for the free speed networking event are 2-3pm on Thursday, and 1:30 – 2:30pm on the Friday. Pre-registrations, where you list your geeky interests and reasons for participating, have already closed, but hey, you can still swing by the stage and see what it’s all about.