Anime Is Having a Moment In Mzansi, And The Fandom Isn’t Going Anywhere

Walk into the Johannesburg Expo Centre during Comic Con Africa weekend and you’ll spot it fast: Gojo cosplayers posing for photos, friend groups in matching Akatsuki cloaks, and artists in Artist Alley selling fan art of characters you’ve probably been binge-watching all year. Anime in South Africa has moved well past the bedroom-screen hobby. It’s a community, and it’s loud.

Comic Con Africa launched in 2018 and has grown into the continent’s biggest pop culture and gaming event. This year’s edition ran from 24 to 27 September at the Johannesburg Expo Centre in Nasrec, bringing together comics, gaming, cosplay and, of course, anime. Tens of thousands of fans turn up for it every year.

The fandom isn’t only a Joburg thing. Comic Con Cape Town returned to the CTICC this year, with voice actors Christopher Sabat and Jason Liebrecht among the headline guests, meeting fans and talking about their work on major anime titles. Universities have caught on too. Stellenbosch University’s anime society was among the groups who showed up in Cape Town.

A lot of this growth comes from the community itself. Anime Culture South Africa, for example, started as an online space and later hosted its own gathering in Johannesburg, A Slice of Anime, to say thank you to supporters. The day had merch stalls, competitions, anime-themed tattoos and a chance for fans to meet content creators and each other.

That sense of belonging is a big part of the appeal. As one cosplayer at last year’s Comic Con Africa put it, “There aren’t many conventions in Africa,” which makes these weekends one of the only places where fans can fully be themselves.

It hasn’t all been smooth. South Africa is often seen as one of the continent’s most progressive countries, but conservative attitudes still sometimes treat cosplay and fandom as trivial. For many fans, the convention floor is a rare space where nobody gives them a second look for dressing as their favourite character.

With bigger crowds every year, international guests flying in and local creators building their own followings, anime culture in South Africa is only getting started. For brands, event organisers and creators alike, this is an audience that shows up, spends and shows love in a big way.