When Comic Con Africa launched in 2018, organisers faced an immediate surge in local demand for a large-scale pop culture and gaming convention. Eight years on, Carol Weaving, MD of organiser RX Africa, says the South African event is the fourth-largest Comic Con in the world, behind only events in Brazil, San Diego and New York.
In an interview with TechCentral, Weaving discussed what it takes to run an event of that size and how brands are changing the way they work with content creators.
When RX Africa first held the event at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit in 2018, turnout exceeded the venue’s capacity. It moved to Gallagher Estate and, after running out of space there, to the Johannesburg Expo Centre (Nasrec).
RX Africa now caps ticket sales at 20 000 a day rather than packing the show floor, which puts attendance across the four days at about 80 000. This year’s edition took place at Nasrec from 24 to 27 September.
“To maintain that status, growth has to be managed organically,” Weaving said. “It’s about ticket caps, safety and expanding physical footprint spaces, like seating areas and food villages.”
On consolidation in the local gaming events market, Weaving confirmed that RX Africa has approached rAge, the long-running local gaming expo, about collaborating on numerous occasions. She declined to give details of those discussions, citing non-disclosure agreements.
Three revenue streams
According to RX Africa, Comic Con Africa relies on three revenue streams:
- Ticket sales: Capped to manage crowd density on the show floor.
- Sponsorships and activations: Brand partnerships with companies such as Telkom, Red Bull and Kellogg’s, which build experiential booths on site.
- Exhibition space: Floor space rented to hardware vendors, game distributors and pop culture retailers.
Weaving said all three were needed in equal measure to make an event of this scale commercially viable.
One shift she has noticed is in how sponsors spend their marketing budgets. Rather than working through advertising agencies, brands are increasingly dealing directly with local content creators and live-streamers.
“Content creators are effectively replacing traditional ad agencies for brands at the show,” Weaving said. “Brands want face-to-face community engagement, and working directly with creators allows them to convert casual gamers into hardware and software buyers.”
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Crowds of that size require strict safety protocols. Because of rules on realistic prop weapons, RX Africa runs drop-off and collection points for attendees bringing replica weapons to guest signings. It also enforces anti-harassment rules and “Cosplay is Not Consent” guidelines across the venue and its digital platforms. – © 2026 NewsCentral Media
