Comic Con Africa is getting a new kind of cosplay competition this year. Toyota’s gaming platform, The Toyota Gaming Engine, is inviting fans to reinterpret Toyota vehicles through costumes and character design, with the first vehicle-specific cosplay category of its kind in South Africa forming part of the brand’s 2026 Comic Con Africa presence.
Image supplied.
Toyota South Africa Motors returns as the official partner and headline sponsor of Comic Con Africa 2026, taking place from 24 to 27 September at the Johannesburg Expo Centre.
Meet car cosplay
The centrepiece of Toyota’s presence will be the TTGE Cosplay Competition, which puts a four-wheeled spin on traditional cosplay.
Entrants can create original cosplay inspired by any Toyota vehicle and interpret it in any style. That could mean a literal recreation of a vehicle, a humanoid character, a futuristic interpretation or something entirely stylised.
Each entrant will receive a downloadable TTGE Cosplay Starter Pack containing official brand assets, colour references and build guidance.
Creativity counts more than the budget
The competition is designed to put the focus on imagination, construction and resourcefulness rather than how much entrants spend.
DIY, recycled and accessible materials are encouraged, with judging based on five equally weighted criteria: creativity and originality, Toyota interpretation, craftsmanship, innovation and resourcefulness, and stage presence.
The live judging will take place on the Comic Con Africa main stage from 15:00 to 15:30 on Saturday, 26 September. Contestants must check in at the TTGE stand at 14:30.
The judging panel will include representatives from TTGE and Comic Con Africa, including a professional cosplayer.
What’s up for grabs?
The winning entry will receive R10,000 in cash, a Gazoo Racing driving experience for two at Zwartkops Raceway and Comic Con Africa 2027 weekend passes for the winner and two guests.
Second place will receive a R3,000 eGift24 voucher and 2027 weekend passes, while third place will receive a R1,500 eGift24 voucher and 2027 weekend passes.
Additional daily prizes will also be available from the TTGE stand throughout the four-day event.
Gaming takes over the TTGE stand
The cosplay competition is only one part of Toyota’s Comic Con Africa offering. TTGE will have a 30-minute slot on the main stage every day, with Load The Hilux running on Thursday, Friday and Sunday and the Cosplay Competition taking over on Saturday.
The TTGE stand will offer free-to-play gaming across sim racing, console and mobile titles. Visitors can take on Gran Turismo 7 using full-motion racing rigs, while Street Fighter, EA FC and Brawlhalla will be available on console. Mobile players can try Clash Royale and Subway Surfers.
Daily tournaments, leaderboards, Beat The Pro challenges and prize handovers will also run from the stand’s mini stage.
Load The Hilux gets physical
Toyota is also bringing its Load The Hilux game into the real world.
The free mini-game, which appears on TTGE’s Brake Time platform, will be recreated in the event’s food court area. Participants will race against the clock to load oversized cargo into a full-size Toyota Hilux, with prizes going to the fastest times each day.
A custom-built Hilux transformer will also move through Comic Con Africa throughout the four days, doubling as a fan experience and a wayfinding point for the TTGE stand.
Visitors who photograph the character and share the content while tagging The Toyota Gaming Engine, or submit suggestions for its name, will have the chance to win a share of R15,000 in eGift vouchers.
From gaming to the road
Toyota will also bring a Drift X activation to the event, giving attendees the opportunity to engage with a precision drift driving experience featuring Toyota GR vehicles on a gymkhana-style course.
The activation is designed to demonstrate the agility of the GR models while bringing the brand’s performance offering into the Comic Con Africa environment.
Expanding Toyota’s gaming community
Toyota says its presence at Comic Con Africa forms part of its wider investment in gaming and creator communities through TTGE, extending this year into cosplay and the people who build and create within the fandom space.
“Through The Toyota Gaming Engine we have spent years investing in South Africa’s gaming community, and this year we are extending that to its makers and builders,” says Glenn Crompton, vice president of marketing at Toyota South Africa Motors.
“Comic Con Africa is one of the few places in South Africa where gaming, creativity and fandom meet at scale and our role there has always been to open the door wider. A brand cosplay category has not been done here before. It is a genuine creative challenge, and we are looking forward to seeing what South Africans build.”
How to enter
Entries are open until 25 September here. Participants must be 18 or older, hold a valid Comic Con Africa ticket and enter either individually or as part of a team of up to four
Each entrant will receive a downloadable TTGE Cosplay Starter Pack containing official brand assets, colour references and build guidance.
For full competition details and entry information click here.
