Japan Pop Culture Connect 2025

On the 30^th of September, JETRO Johannesburg and Comic Con Africa hosted the Japan Pop Culture Connect (JPCC) at Kol Izakaya, Hyde Park. The event was a follow-up to Comic Con Africa 2025, which exposed consumers to the taste, feel, touch, sight, and sound of Japan. Though Comic Con Africa was dedicated to the otakus (Japanese pop culture fans), JPCC was solely geared towards South African businesses looking to do business with Japanese companies. The event was in its third installment, and for the first time was hybrid, rather than it being mainly online as in the previous years, it was an opportunity for local business to connect in-person.

The purpose of the event was to bring together South African businesses interested purchasing or learning about in Japanese intellectual property licensing (IP licensing) rights for content, merchandise, games, food and beverage. The Character Brand Licensing Association from Japan gave businessowners insight on the process for licensing Japanese IP, this was a welcomed by the attendees as the we the growth of Japanese pop culture in South Africa, especially anime. There was also a panel about the import on Japanese goods and how the market has grown. The business saw their imports grow by three times since working JETRO and it was easier to access Japanese suppliers.

Furthermore, an international franchise spoke about the success of their anime character campaign which speaks to the popularity of Japanese anime in South Africa.

Finally, SATAGA, which is non-profit organisation that is aimed at eliminating the illegitimate use of IP and counterfeiting, advised attendees about the importance of securing IP rights before producing any goods  for commercial gain, the speaker also mapped out the course that Japanese companies need to follow in order to protect their IP, and stressed the vital role they play in working with local businesses to protect these rights and businesses that are doing things by the book.

Overall, the event was a valuable for experience for everyone the guests md the got network with their peers in the industry. JETRO and Comic Con Africa are excited to see JPCC grow each year simultaneously with Japanese pop culture in South Africa.