Falling Walls Lab Johannesburg 2025: Breaking Barriers, Building Futures
The Falling Walls Lab is more than a pitch competition, it’s a global platform that connects bright minds, elevates emerging voices, and breaks barriers between disciplines. This year’s Johannesburg edition, hosted at the University of Johannesburg on 22 July 2025, captured this spirit with energy, insight, and innovation.
The event opened with a warm welcome by Mr Holger Bodag, Head of Education and Research at the German Embassy Pretoria, who reflected on the legacy of the Berlin Wall’s fall and how it inspired the ethos behind the Falling Walls Foundation: to dismantle the conceptual walls that divide us, whether in science, society, or innovation. He stressed the value of bilateral cooperation in education and research, and reaffirmed Germany’s continued support for such platforms of exchange.
With the scene set, the stage welcomed 16 outstanding participants who delivered powerful 3-minute pitches on the scientific, social, and technological walls they are breaking. This year’s cohort presented a wide spectrum of ideas: from age-appropriate ARVs and textile recycling, to gender binaries, renewable energy, and advanced breast cancer modelling. The diversity of the pitches highlighted the creative energy and research potential of South Africa’s next generation of changemakers.
After thoughtful deliberation, the jury announced the top three pitches of the day:
1st Unathi Ramashala – Breaking the Wall of Breast Cancer Models
2nd Francios Pietersen – Breaking the Wall of Gender Binaries
3rd Claudia du Plessis – Breaking the Wall of Gestational Diabetes Diagnosis
As the 2025 Lab Winner, Unathi Ramashala will go on to represent Johannesburg at the Falling Walls Lab Finale in Berlin this November, where she will join over 100 global finalists pitching breakthroughs on the world stage. Checkout the rest of the participants and their pitch titles here.
The event was adjudicated by an esteemed and dynamic jury, made up of leaders in academia, science policy, diplomacy, and industry. Each brought a wealth of insight, rigor, and engagement to the presentations (left to right):
- Mr Holger Bodag – German Embassy Pretoria
- Dr Kimon Kieslich – University of Amsterdam, AI Media & Democracy Lab
- Ylva Rodny-Gumede (Chair) – University of Johannesburg
- Virna Mbangeni – Head of Human Resources, Bosch South Africa
- Nosipho Moloto – University of the Witwatersrand, School of Chemistry
- Tebogo Modiba – Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI)
The audience included representatives from academia, science councils, international offices, and the diplomatic corps, all contributing to an atmosphere rich in exchange and collaboration. You can read more on our jury here.
The event concluded with a closing address by Prof. Ylva Rodny-Gumede, Head of UJ’s Division for Global Engagement. Her remarks highlighted the university’s dedication to cultivating global dialogue and fostering meaningful research collaborations. Prof. Rodny-Gumede reflected on the vital role of academic mobility, the power of interdisciplinary exchange, and South Africa’s expanding presence in the global innovation landscape.
In keeping with the event’s ethos, the day concluded with vibrant networking sessions, where participants connected with representatives from DAAD South Africa, jury members, and institutional partners. These exchanges offered a space to explore funding opportunities for study and research in Germany, and to strengthen the networks needed for future collaborative research.
Falling Walls Lab Johannesburg 2025 reaffirmed the power of science and innovation to address global challenges, and the critical role that youth, diversity, and exchange play in that journey.
A heartfelt thank you goes out to all our participants, jury members, supporters, and our partners at the University of Johannesburg for making this year’s Lab a success.
The walls are falling and the future is bright.
