ComicCon Africa 2025 wasn’t just another weekend of cosplay, comics, and chaos; this year was a full-blown raid, and I was right in the thick of it. I attended as an exhibitor with ASUS, a media rep for CodeBros, and as a plain old fan with my family. Three hats, one Con, and a memory chest now overflowing with loot.
ASUS in the Experience Hall
Our ASUS booth was part of the Incredible Gaming (Incredible Connection) stand in Hall 5 — the Experience Hall. This place was alive with esports tournaments by Telkom VS Gaming, a massive Axe arena, and a Doritos setup that had fans lining up for competitions and prizes. ASUS came in hot with a two-pronged assault:
- Consumer Division (my crew): Gaming laptops on display, the ROG Ally X in action, and me acting as the final boss in our daily gaming challenges.
- ASUS OP Team: Stationed with Syntech and PCBuilder, showing off glorious TUF Gaming and ASUS PRIME components; and selling prebuilt rigs at prices so sharp they may as well have been cosplay props. (I grabbed one myself, because hey, trainer or not, I want buttery-smooth frames and fast rendering at home too.)
The best part? Being dubbed the “ASUS Boss.” Each day, I set a high score that con-goers had to beat. If they couldn’t, I remained raid boss supreme. If they did, they snagged an exclusive ComicCon ASUS ROG hamper packed with rare swag: cooler boxes, mugs, bags, shades, you name it. I defended my title on Thursday and Sunday, but got utterly demolished on Friday and Saturday by esports players who clearly showed no mercy. The crowd loved it, the line never stopped, and the booth stayed buzzing.
Fans, Conversions, and Conversations
My job as the official Technical Product Trainer for ASUS South Africa paid off big time. I had long, passionate chats with gamers about upgrades, handheld consoles, and switching brands. Plenty of ASUS fans returned just to hang out and nerd out, while some hardcore rival-brand loyalists crossed over to the Republic of Gamers side; and even bought ASUS laptops right there at the con
To top it off, I was interviewed by MJ Khan, Head of Group Digital Communication at Sasol, who also covers events and reviews tech and entertainment. Let’s just say — ComicCon wasn’t just about fan energy; it was business, networking, and brand wins all rolled into one.
The Rest of the Con: Beyond the Booth
Though my time was mostly spent manning the ASUS stand, I managed to sneak into Hall 6 (Pop Culture Hall) and Hall 7 (Artist Alley + celeb photo ops). The sheer variety was insane! Hall 6 flexed brands like Nintendo (they had 3x massive stands and rocked 60+ Nintendo Switch 2 consoles for fans to jam on), Funko, Disney+, Nexus Hub, RGB Gaming, Gunpla, Toys R Us; each keeping fans entertained with activations and deals. Hall 7 was buzzing with art, celeb signings, and cosplay photobooths.
Yes, I gave into temptation. I picked up Ichigo Kurosaki’s final Zanpakutō evolution from Anime Warehouse; strapping it to my back made me feel like a proper badass (and it doubled as posture support). I also snagged every Solo Leveling Funko POP! I could find, creating what can only be described as a legendary personal haul. Every vendor I spoke to had the same story: “fans are buying everything. Shelves had to be restocked multiple times a day, proving that people had saved up all year for this exact shopping spree.
Maya Meets Misha
Saturday brought a highlight straight out of fanfiction: my girlfriend Maya, cosplaying as Abaddon from Supernatural, had a photo op with Misha Collins (Castiel himself). Not only did she get the shot, but Misha also signed it, turning the moment into a forever piece of art that’s heading straight for a frame at home. That evening, we saw his stand-up show “It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time” at Montecasino. Turns out, Misha is just as humble, approachable, and downright hilarious as fans hoped. It was a perfect reminder of what makes ComicCon special: the line between fan and star is thinner than you think.
Sunday: Family Raid Party
Sunday was family day, with my sons Tao and Shiloh joining the adventure. We did the full hall circuit together, and let me tell you, kids are the ultimate merch hunters.
Shiloh was on a Hatsune Miku quest. After visiting vendor after vendor, he walked away triumphant with three figures, including one from Tech My Money; the same stall where Maya picked up a freakishly top-notch quality Itachi Uchiha figure. We entered raffles for Solo Leveling daggers at the same booth and even tried winning a trip to ComicCon San Diego from the Iconic Brands booth, who run this epic competition each year at the con (Dunno how they do it, but I love it! …one day they will call my name). Tao, ever the builder, found his treasures in the form of a Fuegaleon POP! (Black Clover) and a massive military tank LEGO set.
We were constantly distracted by new shiny things, repeating “Ooooh wait! look at that!”; like it was our new family catchphrase. After leaving at lunch, my boys couldn’t stop talking about the con for days. They still say this was the best ComicCon they’ve ever been to; and I’ve been taking them for six years straight.
Looking Back and Forward
ComicCon Africa 2025 felt different. Bigger, brighter, and more alive than ever. My personal favorite ComicCon still remains 2019, when CodeBros was heavily involved in filming official content for ComicCon’s socials. But this year? It wasn’t far off.
A huge shoutout goes to Benjamin Lopes Da Silva, my official photographer, who not only captured the magic but also cosplayed as Thor on Sunday. Every photo you see in the gallery below is thanks to him (forestw0lfcosplay).
As for me? I’ll be back in 2026; exhibitor, media, and normie rolled into one again. Because ComicCon isn’t just a con. It’s a reset button, a playground, and, if you’re lucky, a place where you get to play the boss battle yourself.
