Cape Town’s first-ever Comic Con ends with a bang

Comic Con Cape Town saw thousands of excited fans stream into the CTICC for the final day of the festival on Sunday. In its first year in Cape Town, the geek convention did not disappoint!

The dynamic programme truly showcased South Africa’s talent pool with several stalls, competition and chat sessions. Across the four days, Comic Con Cape Town, in partnership with the City of Cape Town, Toyota and Telkom blew fans away! Its collaboration with the Cape Town International Animation Festival and FanCon gave way to one memorable weekend. The entire festival has left fans impressed and looking forward to next year’s pop culture festival.

Here are some of the highlights from Comic Con Cape Town 2023:

It’s time for cosplay

This was the opportunity for novice and professional cosplayers to show off their talents! Many arrived dressed as their favourite anime, video game or movie character(s). The Daily Cosplay Competition was a must to see! Cosplay contenders took to the stage and went toe-to-toe for the title of best dressed. Some great prizes were up for grabs!

On Sunday, the Regional Champion of Cosplay competition was held on the Main Stage. Wearing a Nadja (from What We Do in the Shadows) cosplay, Nicola Andalis snatched the win. She now has the chance to compete in the continental championships that will be held at Comic Con Africa in Johannesburg in September. Andalis says she has spent many years perfecting her craft:

It feels unbelievable that I’ve been crowned as the Regional Champion of Cosplay. I’ve spent many years perfecting my craft and working towards an achievement like this, this moment feels surreal, if not magical in a way. I’m honoured to be competing in the African championships later this year

Comic Con — Photo: ZAHRAA SCHROEDER / SMILE FM

Playing that good game

Up on the second floor, in the gaming hall, the competitive spirit was high. Telkom V Gaming hosted a 32-player FIFA tournament where players won daily prizes, including cash vouchers.

Toyota offered guests the chance to partake in a racing simulator challenge – zooming about to beat each other’s fastest time in completing the game. Doritos also brought the heat with daily tournaments with cash prizes and an Xbox up for grabs! Fans of Fortnite, Tekken, FIFA and Call of Duty were treated with several chances to win big.

In the Doritos Crunch Cup on Sunday, Zaid April took first place – collecting a shiny R4000 csh prize. April says he brought his ‘A-game, and it paid off’:

I feel like I’m on top of the world! It’s always great to play FIFA in person with other gamers who share the same love for e-sports that I do. At the end of the day, competitions like this are cut-throat because we all want to win. Today, I brought my A-game, and it paid off

And for those wanting to take their gaming career further – StreamerCon was there to share industry hacks and secrets. Local content creators hosted panel discussions on how to elevate your content or how to get started in the scene.

Comic Con Cape Town — The Main Stage was the focal point of the festival // ZAHRAA SCHROEDER / SMILE FM

The hosts shared knowledge on how to gain followers and increase engagement – and importantly – how to create that content. Comic Con Africa 2023 will be held in Johannesburg in September.

How was your Comic Con Cape Town 2023 experience?