Comic Con Africa has announced the continuation of its partnership with JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization) to further grow the interest between Southern Africa and Japanese companies and strengthen the trade relations through the licensing of pop culture intellectual properties (IPs). This will be done through hosting the second edition of the Japan Pop Culture Connect online seminar that is free to attend which introduces local companies on how to secure these licenses and do business with Japanese license holders as well as targeted online business matchmaking meetings that will commence during the month of September.

This unique opportunity to directly connect with Japanese companies, with assisted facilitation, is kicking off with the online seminar on Friday, 26 July at 9:00AM. The online workshop will include focus sessions on acquiring a license and working with Japanese anime IP, success stories on how South African firms have made use of licensing anime brands, as well as an introspective on how South African anime fans view the current local market.

Interested participants can register to attend here: https://events.zoom.us/ev/AvJ9wR-X2YRtAc4Ef28HVLYwT65PdHhvOFnyMb-exQ1CkQ46j4-L~AmSP-jJ4XaRr9dU8MUk_SnodqibeV2zpv8PsySmt-lZ43HuwgIiscLs__w

Anime, a term used to refer to Japanese animation, has seen a massive rise in local popularity over the last several years and is still expected to continue growing in years to come. Last year, the partnership between Comic Con Africa and JETRO highlighted how these fandoms are growing and, at the live Comic Con festival, a dedicated area on the show floor called Otaku Town (“Otaku” being an enduring term for fans of anime and Japanese pop culture, literally translating to “geek”) was widely supported by fans.

Prior to the live event, Comic Con Africa and JETRO hosted the inaugural Japan Pop Culture Connect Workshop which welcomed South African and Japanese industry leaders, in their respective pop culture realms, to collide and discuss how local South African businesses can obtain rights for Japanese characters and anime shows to merchandise licensed goods. The workshop also gave greater context into Japanese business decorum, as well as sharing success stories on how these agreements can be profitable and build local businesses.

The partnership was a success– resulting in 58 meetings being facilitated, leading to 18 success cases across various sectors including content licensing, consumer product licensing, as well as licensed product imports, amounting to an expected deal value of R8.5million.

“We are excited to continue growing and strengthening the trade relationships between South Africa and Japan with Comic Con Africa” said Ruan Botha, Project Coordinator for JETRO Johannesburg. “For the second iteration, we are excited to expand on existing ideas for the returning attendee, as well as explore new topics for newcomers alike. Last year, we walked away from the session feeling that major strides had been made in these business relationships and we are excited to amplify that further.”

This year will grow on the previous year’s successes, by continuing to optimise the process of speaking to license holders in Japan. Comic Con Africa and JETRO are proud to welcome the expertise of Kazuo Rikukawa from CBLA (The Character Brand Licensing Association),who will be able to dive deeper into doing business with Japanese IP holders.

The workshop is set to act as a springboard for South African organisations to meet these highly influential Japanese companies as a means to grow their local businesses and further stimulate the local economy. Moreover, this uplifts the local fascination of anime and Japanese culture – giving fans the opportunity to access more legitimate merchandise and grow in fandom.

More than just connecting interested parties – JETRO assists with translators, meeting platforms, and more.

To take part in the Japan Pop Culture Connect Online Seminar, and to find out more on how to connect with Japanese business for the purposes of obtaining IP rights, register here: https://events.zoom.us/ev/AvJ9wR-X2YRtAc4Ef28HVLYwT65PdHhvOFnyMb-exQ1CkQ46j4-L~AmSP-jJ4XaRr9dU8MUk_SnodqibeV2zpv8PsySmt-lZ43HuwgIiscLs__w

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About Comic Con Africa

Comic Con Africa is the ultimate pop culture and gaming festival that is taking place from 26 to 29September 2024 at the Johannesburg Expo Centre (Nasrec).

With the 5th Yearanniversary, Comic Con Africa offers fans a four-day experience of cosplay,international celebrities, autograph opportunities, photograph opportunities,gaming specials, eSports tournaments, fandom-focused merch, tabletop gaming,trading card games, anime, manga, Q&A sessions, screenings, activations,interactive experiences, and more – there is something for everyone to enjoywhether you are a casual fan or a bona fide geek. Bring the family along!Tickets are available on Howler https://www.comicconafrica.co.za

Press inquiries: press@comicconafrica.co.za

About JETRO

JETRO, or the Japan External Trade Organization, is a government-related organization that works to promote mutual trade and investment between Japan and the rest of the world. Originally established in 1958 to promote Japanese exports abroad, JETRO's core focus in the 21st century has shifted toward promoting foreign direct investment into Japan and helping small to medium size Japanese firms maximize their global export potential.

About Japan Street

JAPANSTREET is an online catalogue site that can be viewed only by a limited number of overseas buyers who are invited by JETRO. Once you become a registered member, you can search finest Japanese products on JAPAN STREET anytime anywhere!