The Countdown Is On: TEDxJohannesburg Brings Global Climate Action to Sandton & NIROX
On 24 and 25 October 2025, Johannesburg will host one of Africa’s most significant gatherings on climate action: TEDxJohannesburg Countdown 2025, taking place across Sandton and the NIROX Sculpture Park in the Cradle of Humankind.
Selected as one of only 18 official TED Countdown Anchor Events worldwide, this two-day experience connects global urgency with local action, exploring how Africa’s ideas and innovations are driving the response to the climate crisis. Under the theme Countdown 2025: to a greener, fairer, thriving future, the event focuses on climate action, the just transition, and Global South leadership, building momentum toward the G20 climate meetings in Johannesburg and COP30 in Belém, Brazil, in November.
Limited to 750 attendees, the event is a curated gathering in Johannesburg that will bring together key leaders, investors, innovators, and changemakers—many from across the continent—designed to foster high-impact connections and collaborations that accelerate Africa’s contribution to a sustainable future.
Why It Matters
The world’s path to a sustainable future runs through Africa. From energy transitions to water resilience and food security, the solutions emerging from the Global South are redefining what climate justice looks like. TEDxJohannesburg Countdown 2025 will spotlight local solutions with global power, bridging science and spirituality, innovation and inclusion, to reimagine how humanity can thrive within planetary limits.
Kelo Kubu, Licensee and Organiser of TEDxJohannesburg, says:
“Our goal is to connect the global urgency of the climate crisis with local lived experiences and solutions. This event is an opportunity to showcase South African and African perspectives that are not just responding to the crisis, but actively reimagining the future, rooted in justice, creativity, and courage.”
More than a conference, this is a movement of ideas, a space where creativity fuels justice, where art meets science, and where imagination becomes action.
Day 1: Expert-Led Deep Dives Across Gauteng
Day 1 (24 October) begins at GIBS in Illovo, where participants will gather for a welcoming session and an opening talk on “Transport of the Future”, presented by Gautrain.Siyabonga Mabaso, Acting COO, will deliver opening remarks, followed by a discussion facilitated by Viwe Mgedezi, Executive Manager: Knowledge Management.
The session explores the role of public transport in climate change mitigation and includes a preview of Gautrain’s future mobility plans for Gauteng.
From there, participants will branch into a series of expert-led deep dives and thematic showcases across Sandton and surrounding areas. Each attendee will join one focused track, curated to encourage meaningful discussion and practical insight rather than large-scale participation.
Highlights include:
- From Street to System: Inside the Waste Picker Economy (Urban Surfer, Parktown) – A guided session led by Urban Surfer co-founder Sifso Gumbi—who will also speak at TEDxJohannesburg Countdown the following day—showing how Johannesburg’s informal recyclers are pioneering circular economy models that turn waste into opportunity.
- Financing Resilience in the Age of Climate Change” (Workshop17, Hyde Park Corner) – A masterclass hosted by Tshikululu Social Investments, led by Richard Pfaf, Head of Social Impact, on unlocking innovative financing for South Africa’s just transition—including in the energy sector.
- Design for Tomorrow: SPRINTS Pop-up Exhibition” (Workshop17, The Bank, Rosebank) – A creative showcase featuring works from a SPRINTS bootcamp hosted by TEDxJohannesburg (17–19 October) at the Kromdraai Hub. Developed through Fine Acts’ global 48-hour format, the artworks interpret climate action through bold visual storytelling.
Participants will also embark on a guided train journey from Rosebank to Hatfeld in Pretoria and back, experiencing first-hand Gautrain’s efficient, lower-carbon mode of travel. Thanks to a partnership with Gautrain, each participant will enjoy a sponsored journey for the day.
Day 1 concludes with participants reconvening to reflect on insights gained, followed by an evening of awe and wonder under the stars at the Wits Anglo American Digital Dome in Braamfontein, celebrating the day’s climate journey through sound, light, and imagination.
Day 2: Talks, Art, and Music at NIROX Sculpture Park
Day 2 (25 October) unfolds in the natural beauty of NIROX Sculpture Park, where 14 speakers will take to the iconic TEDx stage. Surrounded by art and landscape, their talks will weave together data and emotion, policy and poetry, exploring what it means to live, and lead, on a changing planet.
Speaker highlights include:
- Crispian Olver – Deputy Chairperson of the Presidential Climate Commission, on shaping climate leadership from the inside.
- Nokulinda Mkhize – Sangoma, writer, and educator, on bridging ancestral wisdom and climate futures.
- Leonie Joubert – Science writer and journalist, on telling the human stories of climate change.
- Sifso Gumbi – Co-founder of Urban Surfer, on reimagining waste as opportunity.
- Viaksha Mohabir – Sustainability professional and G20 Energy Transition advisor, ensuring African perspectives help shape global energy policy.
- Johan Thom – Artist and curator of the forthcoming Soil and Water exhibition at NIROX, exploring ecology, resilience, and the human condition.
- Christophe Fellay (Switzerland) – Drummer and sound artist, on composing rhythms for a planet in flux.
Talks will be interwoven with live performances, food experiences, and site-specific art curated by NIROX, transforming the event into a festival of ideas set in one of Africa’s most inspiring natural landscapes.
For the first time at TEDxJohannesburg, the programme will also feature a dedicated performance art session across the park—an immersive experience where artists use movement, sound, and space to explore our shared climate future.
The day will close with a three-set live music session, blending acoustic sounds, African jazz, and contemporary percussion, offering both refection and celebration.
In the coming days,TEDxJohannesburg will announce an exciting line-up of artists and collaborators joining the Countdown stage and the NIROX landscape, further enriching what promises to be an unforgettable convergence of ideas, art, and climate action.
Sustainability Commitment
Hosting TEDxJohannesburg Countdown 2025 at NIROX Sculpture Park refects a deliberate commitment to sustainability. The natural, open-air setting reduces the event’s carbon footprint by relying on sunlight and fresh air rather than energy-intensive climate control. The venue’s low-impact infrastructure, locally sourced catering, and waste-conscious operations further minimise emissions. Capping attendance at 750 participants also helps manage environmental impact while fostering a curated, high-impact gathering that encourages meaningful dialogue and collaboration. Set within the Cradle of Humankind, NIROX turns climate action from an abstract idea into a lived experience among art, soil, and sky.
Tangible Impact
To extend its influence beyond the event itself, TEDxJohannesburg Countdown 2025 will culminate in a Climate Action Showcase and Report, capturing the most compelling insights, commitments, and ideas generated over the two days. This digital publication will be shared with policymakers, investors, innovators, and climate networks, ensuring that the conversations sparked in Johannesburg continue to inspire, inform, and influence action worldwide. Following the event, TEDxJohannesburg Countdown talks and performances will be made available online via the TEDx YouTube channel and tedxjohannesburg.com, extending the reach of these ideas to a global audience.
Partners and Collaborators
TEDxJohannesburg Countdown 2025 is powered by a coalition of creative and visionary partners, each contributing their unique strengths to amplify ideas that change everything:
- Network X OOH – Outdoor media innovator using digital billboards and public art to spread the Countdown message across Gauteng.
- Lucky Hustle – Performance marketing and motion studio bringing creative energy to climate communication.
- Naritive – Adtech and storytelling platform transforming how ideas reach and move audiences.
- NIROX Sculpture Park – Venue partner curating art, nature, and performance in the Cradle of Humankind.
- Gautrain – Rapid rail network showcasing the future of sustainable urban mobility.
- KuMo&Co – Narrative design and speaker development from supporting speaker preparation and storytelling.
As the partners note:
Dimitri Tsaperas, CEO says:
“At Network X OOH, we don’t just put messages on billboards, we put ideas into motion. This partnership is about connecting communities to the conversations that shape our shared future.”
Darren Morris, CEO says:
“At Lucky Hustle, we don’t just make content, we make it count . In a world drowning in noise, it takes story, grit, and a touch of magic to cut through. We’re proud to pour that energy into a cause that matters.”
Rafq Phillips, CTO of Naritive and TED Fellow, says:
“At Naritive, we don’t just believe in the power of stories, we unleash their impact. TEDxJohannesburg Countdown thrives on bold narratives that dare to shake the world.”
Together, these collaborators embody the spirit of innovation – where creativity, technology, and purpose converge to drive meaningful change.
The People Behind the Platform
TEDxJohannesburg events are brought to life by a dedicated team of skilled volunteers. They do this not for personal gain, but because they believe in the transformative power of ideas.
Their work, alongside the creativity of our partners, ensures that this year’s Countdown will be globally significant and unmistakably local.
Call to Action
- Tickets are on sale now!
- Join the movement. Be part of the ideas shaping tomorrow.
- Buy your ticket today here
About TEDxJohannesburg
TEDxJohannesburg is an independently organised TEDx platform that curates transformative talks, performances, and ideas to shape the future. Guided by the belief that ideas change everything, it has been a hub for South Africa’s boldest thinkers, makers, and doers since 2009.
Connect with TEDxJohannesburg on social media:
Facebook | X (Twitter) | Instagram | LinkedIn
About TED Countdown
TED Countdown is TED’s global initiative to champion and accelerate solutions to the climate crisis, turning ideas into action through talks, collaborations, and community events worldwide. countdown.ted.com
