NEWSLETTER Issue 1
2 October 2025
Five day programme now launched
With just two months to go until WCJS, we have finalised a really exciting five day programme. It provides you with ample opportunity to learn new skills, to consider the state of science journalism, and factors that are influencing our profession, including misinformation, AI and funding cuts.
Over 200 speakers from 60 countries will be travelling to Pretoria to cover a diversity of topics – from climate change, mental health, quantum physics and energy matters to the lithium debate, the state of our oceans, endangered species and research being done in Africa.
Extension of Early Bird registration rates
Be part of the world’s biggest science journalism gathering.
Register by 10 October 2025 to secure Early Bird rates and join 200+ speakers from 60 countries for five days of debate, skills and discovery in South Africa.
Explore the WCSJ 2025 field trips
Exciting field trips can be taken prior to, and after, the conference. Highlights include visits to the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Biomanufacturing Industry Development Centre, Biodegradability Testing Facility, Learning Factory and Mobile Robotics Laboratory, and the Centre for Nanostructures and Advanced Materials, as well as to the University of Pretoria’s Nuclear Medicine Research Infrastructure, Department of Zoology and Entomology, Engineering 4.0 facility, and the Faculty of Veterinary Science Onderstepoort Campus.
We also have a number of field trips still in development — watch this space.
Applications for field trips will open for registered delegates in mid-October and will be announced via this weekly newsletter.
Don’t forget to follow us on our socials – see the links on the top right of our web pages.
A world-first for conservation within a city metropolitan area
Dinokeng Big 5 Game Reserve, located just 40km from Pretoria’s city centre lies within the city metropolitan boundaries. It is the only Big 5 game reserve in the world located in a metropolitan area. The reserve, with free-roaming wildlife in a malaria-free setting, is also a living laboratory for conservation science and a testing ground for new approaches to human–wildlife coexistence.
Since its establishment in 2011, Dinokeng Game Reserve’s aim has been to restore balance between nature and community. Born from the vision of turning an impoverished area into a thriving Big Five destination, the reserve has become not only a sanctuary for wildlife but an integral part of the local community. But much like raising a child, raising and maintaining a reserve requires a village – a collective effort from all who care about its future.
Watch the video to see how this collective effort takes shape, and share it to help tell the story of Dinokeng Game Reserve.
Dinokeng Game Reserve has also produced a special edition of the Dinokeng Game Reserve Magazine in collaboration with WCSJ 2025. The online magazine contains case studies, research findings, and field reports that reflect the complexity of conservation today: from rhino rewilding and predator protection to soil science, community engagement, and collaborations with universities and NGOs.
Please enjoy exploring the work, stories, and insights that make Dinokeng Game Reserve a unique space for game viewing, conservation and research.
Hotel accommodation options
A wide range of hotels is available for the conference, with something to suit all preferences. View full hotel details, including which hotels offer special rates for the conference.
Here is an insider’s opinion on some of the options available, ranked in no particular order:
- Casa Toscana – the closest to the CSIR ICC, about 500m down Meiring Naudé Road in a southerly direction. A small Tuscan-style hotel, laid out like a guest house but with many rooms, so it can get quite busy. There is a restaurant on site and a small theatre hosting music shows.
- City Lodge Lynnwood – about 1km from the CSIR ICC, on Lynnwood Road. Located in a small shopping centre with restaurants, a food shop and some offices. Rooms are compact and without outside access, but it is a cost-effective hotel in a safe precinct for those who prefer dining out nearby.
- Pierneef’s Kraal Guest House – one of my favourites, a small boutique hotel behind the CSIR. You simply drive around the CSIR to reach the ICC. The original home of artist Pierneef, it is full of character. With only seven rooms opening onto beautiful gardens, it is very quiet and peaceful. Breakfast and lunch are served on site, but for dinner one needs to eat out or order in.
- The Capital Menlyn Maine – a modern full-service hotel in the lively Menlyn Maine precinct. The nightlife here is vibrant, with many restaurants on the plaza. The hotel is known for its larger-than-usual rooms, most with sliding doors to balconies.
- Maslow Time Square – a trendy hotel in the Menlyn area, adjacent to the Time Square Casino complex.
- Town Lodge Menlo Park – a cost-effective option on Atterbury Road near the N1 junction. Rooms are small with limited services, but it is close to Menlyn Shopping Centre for amenities.
- Southern Sun Garden Court Hatfield – on Schoeman Street where the N4 enters Pretoria. Another cost-effective, basic hotel with limited amenities.
- Future Africa Institute – between the University of Pretoria (UP) sports grounds and the CSIR. Part of the UP Future Africa campus, a private, tranquil precinct with controlled access. Rooms are simple but distinctively decorated, and the campus has wonderful gardens (including edible gardens) cultivated for university research. Meals are served at the on-site restaurant.
- The Capital Trilogy – furnished apartments for those who prefer more space, in Menlyn Maine but slightly away from the busy restaurant plaza. Linked to The Capital Menlyn Maine for hotel dining and amenities.
- Hudson House Boutique Hotel – 3km from the CSIR ICC on Lynnwood Road. A small modern boutique hotel with 12 rooms, each with sliding doors and balconies overlooking the gardens. Breakfast is provided; enquire directly about dinners.