That’s a wrap on the 2024 edition of rAge – South Africa’s long-running Really Awesome Gaming Expo, which just celebrated its 22nd anniversary. This year, the gaming, technology and geek lifestyle event had a new home in the form of Johannesburg Expo Centre at Nasrec, moving across the city and away from Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand, which had been rAge’s home for two years since returning post pandemic.

Running 29 November to 1 December, rAge 2024 felt like a marriage of old and new, largely due to the venue shift. Taking place in Hall 6, rAge had something of its old The Dome energy (its base up to 2020), due to the bare concrete and far more industrial aesthetic than ultra-premium Gallagher. That said, the Expo Centre show is far better lit, pleasantly spacious and easier to navigate than The Dome ever was.

Of course, there’s no escaping the fact that JHB Expo Centre is also the home of Comic Con Africa, and it’s easy to slip into comparison mode. CCA is unquestionably the bigger and more diverse event. However, rAge continues to maintain its own distinct identity thanks to its focused offering and different attendee demographic, which naturally skews to young males despite welcoming to all.

As for what we specifically loved about rAge 2024, as well as areas for improvement, you’ll find those below.

The good

If you love esports, and competitive gaming for both serious contenders and casual participants, there is no question that rAge is thee place to be. Without even mentioning the drop-in contests being run by the likes of Monster and BMW, at least four major tournaments were taking place on stages around the Hall. These included a returning Mamelodi Sundowns Esports Championship in its striking football themed arena; and the Queen Arrow Invitational, spearheaded by Mzansi Esports Champions 2024, which brought together women Tekken players from across Africa. The Invitational was ultimately won by South Africa’s Zahraa “Iron Fist” Khan.

Also great? All the food and drink options. A shift away from Gallagher, which mandates use of its in-house catering, meant a wider variety of choices both on the show floor and outside in the food truck village. Also appreciated was how easy it was to get beverages on a sweltering weekend that passed 30 degrees.

Other highlights at rAge 2024: the Afro Geek Playroom, which spotlighted homegrown, distinctly African games and comics; and a spacious wing for Cosplay Central, complete with photo backdrops and good lighting for snaps in costume.

The bad

rAge 2024 didn’t leave the best first impression for two reasons. The first was a wallet-wringing R40 parking fee, followed by the blast of body odour on initially entering the event hall. To be fair, the latter wasn’t consistent, and staff did open hatches to allow in more ventilation, but at peak times, especially in busy areas, there was no escaping the distasteful smell of people. Gross.

Other than the apparent use of apparent AI-generated artwork to promote the event – which feels disrespectful when rAge promotes its strong Artists Alley attraction – no other gripes can really be made.

It will just be interesting to see where rAge goes from here. The great deals are still present, but with the exclusive opportunity to get hands-on with the latest games and technology downgraded (long-time attendees may remember the queues when PlayStation VR was demoed back in 2016), it seems like the event’s competitive gaming focus, and other more speciality offerings – like the Nibble Fashion Show – may become its greatest drawcard.

Look out for our rAge Cosplay Showcase soon, but here is a gallery of general images to give you a sense of what went down at rAge 2024.