The Red Circle, a dynamic pop-up platform, is set to appear at the Sandton Gautrain Station on Wednesday, 25 June 2025, between 7am and 9am.
- This June marks a major milestone in South Africa’s transport journey – the Gautrain celebrates 15 years of operations.
- A catalyst for African mobility, the high-speed rail network has transformed how people move across Gauteng.
- The rail network offers a safe, efficient, and reliable alternative to road transport since its inaugural ride on 8 June 2010 from Sandton Station to O.R. Tambo International Airport.
- Visit www.sandtontimes.co.za for more stories.
To celebrate this 15-year achievement, Gautrain is partnering with TEDxJohannesburg for a unique activation that promises to blend movement with meaning.
Inspired by the storied Speaker’s Corner in London’s Hyde Park, The Red Circle is more than a stage. It’s a civic soapbox – a space for passengers to express ideas, stories, and creativity that reflect how Gautrain, and mobility more broadly, has shaped their lives. Whether it’s a one-minute poem, performance, or spoken word piece, The Red Circle invites all passengers to step forward and speak up.
Since the first train glided out of Sandton in 2010, the Gautrain has clocked up over 200-million passenger trips. It has connected suburbs to cities, people to opportunities, and regions to the rhythms of a fast-paced urban economy. With a dedicated team of approximately 1’200 staff, the Gautrain has become synonymous with punctuality, safety, and innovation.
But as Gautrain Management Agency CEO, Tshepo Kgobe, puts it, the next 15 years are about more than staying on track – it’s about expansion and deeper integration.
In the next 15 years, we want to connect more people, more communities, and more cities in Gauteng, and stimulate economic growth, development, and job creation.
// Gautrain Management Agency CEO, Tshepo Kgobe
This forward-looking vision sets the perfect backdrop for The Red Circle, which invites participants to reflect on how Gautrain is more than steel and stations – it’s a metaphor for momentum, progress, and transformation.
The Red Circle activation will be guided by three imaginative themes, giving passengers a springboard for their one-minute moment in the spotlight:
1. Mobility Moves Us
A nod to how physical movement influences life’s direction – from where we choose to live, to how we work, and even who we become. It’s about the ripple effects of connectivity.
2. The City Moves Through Us
A poetic theme that positions the Gautrain not as something we merely use, but as something that uses us – reshaping our routines, relationships, and even our identities.
3. Keep It Moving
A high-energy, urban call-to-action that champions hustle, resilience, and the spirit of South African transformation. It’s about keeping pace with change – and embracing it.
Whether you’re a commuter with a story, a poet with a city in your chest, or someone with a voice waiting to be heard, The Red Circle is your platform.
Participation isn’t just for applause – it also comes with a chance to win spot giveaways. Think of it as a thank-you to the early risers and regular riders who make the Gautrain part of their daily grind. But perhaps the biggest reward is the opportunity to inspire fellow passengers – and to be part of something bigger than the commute.
TEDxJohannesburg’s collaboration brings a layer of creative gravitas to the event. Known for curating ideas worth spreading, TEDxJohannesburg is all about elevating ordinary voices into powerful, resonant experiences – and with The Red Circle, that ethos is coming straight to the platform at Sandton Station.
At a time when cities around the world are exploring how infrastructure can do more than just function – how it can inspire, empower, and include – this activation feels perfectly timed.
For Gautrain, it’s a chance to say thank you. For commuters, it’s a moment to pause, reflect, and connect – with one another and with the journey so far. So, if you find yourself passing through Sandton Station on 25 June, don’t just catch the train. Step into the circle. Speak from the heart. And help celebrate 15 years of keeping Gauteng – and its people – moving forward.
Stand a chance to WIN with The Sandton Times.
Advertise on The Sandton Times today!
Head back to The Sandton Times Home Page for more stories.
