By NewsSA Reporter:
Framed as a response to ‘the great unravelling’ of our planetary systems, a major global climate event in Joburg will blend policy, poetry, and practical action to chart a path forward.
In the face of what organisers call “the great unravelling” of our social and ecological fabric, a landmark gathering in Johannesburg this month will bring together some of the continent’s most compelling voices to focus on “the great restoration.”
TEDxJohannesburg Countdown 2025, one of only 18 flagship events of its kind globally, will take place on 24-25 October across Sandton and the NIROX Sculpture Park. The event is framed not as another conference, but as a “festival of ideas, art, and imagination” aimed at tackling the climate crisis.
“We are living through the end of the world as we know it. But this is also the beginning,” said Kelo Kubu, Licensee and Organiser of TEDxJohannesburg. “Our Countdown is a call to action for a greener, fairer, thriving future. It’s where creativity fuels justice.”
The two-day experience is strategically split.
Day One: Ideas to Action kicks off in Sandton with a focus on practical solutions, including deep dives into the informal waste economy and climate finance.
Day Two: Climate, Art, and Imagination transforms the NIROX Sculpture Park into a main stage for talks woven with live music and performance art, asking how humanity can thrive within planetary limits.
The speaker lineup is designed to bridge worlds. It ranges from the analytical to the ancestral, featuring:
• Crispian Olver, Deputy Chairperson of the Presidential Climate Commission, on internal leadership.
• Sifiso Gumbi, co-founder of Urban Surfer, on pioneering circular economy models from the ground up.
• Nokulinda Mkhize, a Sangoma and writer, on weaving ancestral wisdom into climate futures.
• Viaksha Mohabir, a G20 Energy Transition advisor, on ensuring African voices shape global policy.
“The world’s path to a sustainable future runs through Africa. The solutions emerging here are redefining what climate justice looks like,” the event’s narrative states, positioning the continent as a central player in the global dialogue, especially ahead of the upcoming G20 meetings in Johannesburg and COP30.
By hosting the main stage event within the natural landscape of NIROX, organisers have made a deliberate statement, turning climate action from an abstract idea into a lived experience among art, soil, and sky.
The ideas launched from this stage will be captured in a digital Climate Action Report, shared with global policymakers to ensure the conversations sparked in Johannesburg help shape the world’s climate agenda long after the event ends. – @NewsSA_Online
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