Comic Con Africa’s 2026 guest list is not limited to anime, but there are several names that should immediately stand out to us anime and animation fans. The biggest draw for me is undoubtedly the One Piece live-action cast, while animation fans also have Rick and Morty and the unmistakable voice of Storm to look forward to.
This guest guide forms part of my wider coverage of the convention. If you are planning your full weekend, head over to my Anime Fan’s Complete Guide to Comic Con Africa 2026 for the anime and manga activities, workshops, cosplay, shopping, Japanese culture and other things worth adding to your schedule.
P.S. I am giving away 6 Friday tickets to Comic Con Africa 2026. You can enter via my Friday Ticket Giveaway and see the full entry details there.
The One Piece live-action cast
If you are a One Piece fan, this is probably the celebrity appearance to build your schedule around.
Five cast members from Netflix’s live-action adaptation will be appearing at Comic Con Africa from Thursday, 24 September to Saturday, 26 September:
- Steven John Ward – Dracule Mihawk
- Alexander Maniatis – Kuro/Klahadore
- Jazzara Jaslyn – Miss Valentine
- Nahum Hughes – Bartolomeo
- Martial T. Batchamen – Brook
The group has dedicated Main Stage appearances on all three days:
- Thursday, 24 September: 10:00-10:30
- Friday, 25 September: 11:30-12:00
- Saturday, 26 September: 09:20-09:50
These panels are a chance to hear the cast talk about their characters, filming the series and some of the behind-the-scenes work that goes into bringing One Piece from manga and anime into live action.
For me, the mix of characters is especially fun. We have Mihawk and Kuro from the earlier parts of the story, alongside Miss Valentine, Bartolomeo and Brook, giving fans a rather broad spread of the One Piece world.
And considering how much One Piece content I have covered over the years, I don’t think I need to explain why this one is firmly on my own list.
Alison Sealy-Smith
Alison Sealy-Smith will be at Comic Con Africa for all four days, from 24 to 27 September.
She is best known as the voice of Storm in X-Men: The Animated Series and X-Men ’97, making her one of the most recognisable voices in superhero animation. Her voice-acting work also includes Gamora in Silver Surfer, along with appearances in Spider-Man and Sailor Moon.
Her Main Stage appearances are currently scheduled for:
- Thursday: 10:30-11:00
- Friday: 10:00-10:20
- Saturday: 10:00-10:20
- Sunday: 10:40-11:00
While she is primarily an animation guest rather than an anime guest, the Sailor Moon connection makes her particularly interesting for those of us whose fandom crosses between anime and Western animation.
Fans will also be able to book autograph and professional photo opportunities with her separately from their general admission ticket.
The Rick and Morty cast
Animation fans are getting three members of the current Rick and Morty cast together at Comic Con Africa:
- Ian Cardoni – Rick Sanchez
- Harry Belden – Morty Smith
- Spencer Grammer – Summer Smith
All three will appear from Thursday, 24 September to Saturday, 26 September.
Their Main Stage panels are scheduled for:
- Thursday: 11:30-12:00
- Friday: 10:40-11:10
- Saturday: 10:30-11:00
The trio will talk about their work on the series, their careers and what happens behind the scenes when recording an animated show, with audience questions forming part of the sessions. Autograph and professional photo opportunities will also be available separately.
Ian Cardoni took over the role of Rick Sanchez from Season 7 and continues as Rick through Seasons 7 and 8, while Harry Belden voices Morty and Spencer Grammer has long been the voice of Summer.
One timetable detail to keep an eye on: the current Saturday programme has the Rick and Morty panel beginning at 10:30, while Richard T. Jones’ session is listed until 10:40. Since Comic Con Africa’s programme is subject to change, I would double-check the final Saturday schedule closer to the event.
Christopher Judge
Christopher Judge is not an anime guest, but he is difficult to leave out of a guide aimed at fans whose interests tend to overlap across animation, gaming and geek culture.
Judge is best known to gamers as Kratos in God of War and God of War Ragnarök, while science-fiction fans will know him as Teal’c from Stargate SG-1. He also has an animation connection as the voice of Magneto in X-Men: Evolution.
He will appear from Friday, 25 September to Sunday, 27 September, with Main Stage sessions currently scheduled for:
- Friday: 12:00-12:30
- Saturday: 14:00-14:20
- Sunday: 10:20-10:40
His panels will cover his career, character development and stories from both voice acting and on-camera work. Autographs and professional Photo Ops are available as additional purchases.
So no, he isn’t here because of anime. But if your anime fandom exists alongside gaming, animation and science fiction, Christopher Judge is probably still going to be one of the names you circle on the programme.
If you can not wait until Comic Con Africa, you can follow the guests on their social platforms:
- Steven John Ward (Dracule Mihawk):
- Instagram: @stevenjohnward
- X (Twitter): @SteveWard101
- TikTok: @therealstevenjohnward
- Alexander Maniatis (Kuro/Klahadore):
- No social media accounts are listed in the official directory I was supplied.
- Jazzara Jaslyn (Miss Valentine):
- Instagram: @jazzarajaslyn
- Nahum Hughes (Bartolomeo):
- Instagram: @nxhum
- Martial T. Batchamen (Brook):
- Instagram: @martialtbatchamen
- Alison Sealy-Smith:
- Instagram: @alison_sealy_smith
- Ian Cardoni (Rick Sanchez):
- Instagram: @iancardoni
- Harry Belden (Morty Smith):
- Instagram: @harrybeldenactor
- Spencer Grammer (Summer Smith):
- Instagram: @spencergrammer
- Christopher Judge:
- Instagram: @iamchrisjudge
A quick note about meeting celebrity guests
The Main Stage Q&A sessions are part of the convention programme, but autographs and professional photo opportunities are not included in your normal admission ticket. They need to be purchased separately.
Also keep the individual appearance days in mind. The One Piece and Rick and Morty casts leave after Saturday, while Christopher Judge arrives on Friday and Alison Sealy-Smith is scheduled across all four days. If meeting a particular guest is one of your priorities, that may help decide which day you attend.
Comic Con Africa’s programme, stage appearances and times are subject to change. Double-check the latest schedule on the Comic Con Africa app on the day before heading to a panel or activity
A big thank you to Comic Con Africa who supplied all of the images used in this post and gave me access to them in the 2026 ‘press portal’.
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