Cosplay is for everyone. When it comes to Comic Con Africa, that’s a statement that a lot of people have taken to heart – and the annual pop culture celebration, and its thousands of attendees, are brighter and more cheerful for it.

Here you’ll find just a small selection of the standout cosplays that we spotted over the four days of the 2026 Joburg show. As always, as a thank you to everyone who made the effort to dress up, if you want the original image, or any other pics that feature you in costume, please reach out via the site’s social platforms, or email noelle(at)pfangirl(dot)com.

Before we get to the gallery, though, as with all activities, there’s a more serious side to cosplay, and CCA hosts the Comic Con Africa Championship of Cosplay – easily the most prestigious cosplay competition in Sub-Saharan Africa. We’re talking big prizes, including an all-expenses-paid trip overseas to cosplay in the global finale.

You can watch the full CCA 2026 contest on YouTube here, thanks to Ashvir Maharaj.

As for the results:

As a Crown Champion Qualifier event, the overall CCA Championship of Cosplay winner goes on to represent South Africa at the Cosplay Central Crown Championships, a final that brings together the world’s best in cosplay, and which is now held at MCM London Comic Con. Jax, AKA Brendan Jackson, will be heading there in May 2027 to represent the Rainbow Nation, which has achieved four Top 3 finishes (first once, second twice, and third once) in six appearances on the global stage.

Now onto our four-day cosplay highlights gallery.

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4