The doors to Day One of Comic Con Cape Town were opened half an hour early as thousands of fans could no longer wait to experience a day filled with all their favourite things like Esports, Cosplay, anime, tabletop gaming, and all things geek. As news of the amazing features and joyful atmosphere of the festival spread, all of the remaining tickets were snapped up by thrilled fans, and Comic Con Cape Town 2025 officially sold out.
A Stage Filled with Stars
After the City of Cape Town welcomed the crowd, the dynamic Main Stage’s multiple LED backdrop screens parted to reveal one of anime’s most iconic heroes – Zach Aguilar. Fans of Demon Slayer lined up to meet the voice of Tanjiro Kamado. Zach posed for photos with fans, gave autographs, and shared behind-the-scenes stories from his career as the voice behind some of anime’s most iconic characters. It was truly a day for anime fans as Zach was quickly followed by Aki Dearest & The Animeman, two of the biggest names in YouTube. Their lively and entertaining panel gave insights into their journeys as content creators, and they shared their unique insights into the industry they call theirs. The stage was also graced with the presence of the one and only Yuji Koi, the award-winning cosplayer, model, and craftswoman, who delighted fans with her infectious passion for the art of Cosplay.
Good Games Only
Esports fans flocked to Telkom’s stand for the nail-biting eDiski Championships quarter finals and semifinals, with the would-be champs displaying intense concentration and nerves of steel as they pursued the opportunity of winning R175,000.00 in cash. The excitement rose as the Next Gen Squad made their first IRL appearance. The Toyota Gaming Engine set the stage with free-to-play games and awesome spot prizes, while the Red Bull Golden Letters tournament amped up the adrenaline with their Tekken 8 tournament. Checkers Sixty60 invited fans to enlarge their gaming accessory collections and hosted free-to-play UFC5, while reminding fans that UFC Champion Dricus Du Plessis will meet fans on Saturday.
Cosplay Slayed All Day
Cosplayers arrived in full force. Some Cosplayers spent hundreds of hours on their costumes, while other fans took a more low-key approach with a handful of store-bought accessories. What they all had in common was creativity, and the many halls of the CTICC2 were filled with a feeling of freedom and confidence. Mad Hatters flounced in colourful, voluminous skirts. Ethereal Elves with floral crowns and pointed ears moved lightly through the crowds, while a horn-crowned Loki in green and gold posed with their Sceptre. Vikings and Harley Quinns brushed shoulders with Minecraft characters and a trio of people-sized bananas, labelled “Victims of Donkey Kong” laughed their way across the stage in the Casual Cosplay competition. Fans clearly cannot wait until May the 4th on Sunday with Star Wars Cosplays making a prominent appearance. Stormtoopers, Mandalorians, Darth Maul, Anakin Skywalker, Princess Leia, and a head-turning 8-foot-tall Wookie were all brought to life with stunning detail and accuracy. Vendors at the show offered gory latex Zombie masks and SFX make-up. Cosplayers were thrilled with Cosplay Central on the Ground Floor, which featured dressing room mirrors, brought to fans by Medirite X Essence cosmetics.
Activations All Around
Netflix showed up and showed off with an epic Squid Game Season 3 activation which included a Squid Mart, photo ops, a perfect replica of The Doll and the cash-filled prize ball suspended from the ceiling, and prowling, menacing-looking guards in pink overalls with their faces covered in mesh masks. M-Net immersed fans in The Last of Us experience, and Amazon kept the hype alive with their gigantic replica Amazon delivery box, and their “What’s in the Box?” competition. HintHunt challenged fans with thrilling escape room experiences and Dance Dance Revolution got con-goers breathless with faster and faster footwork.
Celebrating Artists
The large Artist Alley curated in association with FanCon, featured over 40 local and international artists. They got stuck into live draws and shared tips on breaking into the industry with fans. Fans soaked in the advice given to them by giants of the comic industry working with the likes of Marvel and DC. Laura Bragahosted a Harley Quinn love drawing session. Kids were invited to an exciting workshop titled “Make Your Own Comic Book”.
Pull the Plug
UnplugYourself brought an incredible tabletop gaming experience, with fans playing and learning Dungeons and Dragons, Catan, and loads more boardgames from the Solarpop Boardgame Library.
Poptaku Stage
The Poptaku Stage hosted the So You Think You Can K-Pop competition and Geeks Got Talent, both of which were so much fun, as well as Japanese lessons. Professional streamers shared tops and strategies for growing audiences and gave advice on how to overcome the fear of live streams. Dub It Out gave fans the chance to put their voice acting skills to the test, re-dubbing iconic scenes from their favourite shows, movies, and games – with your own hilarious or dramatic twist – with prizes for the most entertaining performances.
KidsCon Rules
Professors taught Pokémon TCG to kids. Character meet and greets had kids (not to mention adults too) excitably asking for photos. Smurf’s nose got a boop as he posed with Smurfette, Toys R Us’ mascot Geoffrey the Giraffe was a wild hit on stage, Noodle and Bun were super cute and cuddly, and Mario and Luigi were as moustachioed as ever. The Toys R Us store was packed with toys and games just for kids.
Day One of Comic Con Cape Town was absolutely EPIC, and proved that Comic Con really has something for everyone!
