Over a weekend in October 2025, more than 63 of the 2005 leavers, from a class of 141, gathered to celebrate twenty years since leaving College. Many travelled from across the world, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and Singapore, while many others journeyed from across South Africa. It was a remarkable reunion that reminded us how quickly time has passed and how deeply the bonds of those formative years remain.
Of our year, 51% have emigrated from South Africa, and only about thirty percent still live in Johannesburg. This has made our network wider and more global, but thinner in our everyday reconnections. That distance made the opportunity to be together again feel even more meaningful. It was a weekend filled with laughter, memory and reflection on the paths life has taken since our College days.
The events began on the Friday with a spirited golf day and prize giving, followed by a relaxed family bowls day at Pirates on the Saturday, where children, perhaps future Johannians themselves, ran across the greens while old friends caught up. On Saturday evening we gathered at the Old Johannian Club for a dinner shared with wives and partners. Surrounded by familiar faces and long standing traditions, stories and songs flowed easily and the atmosphere was rich with warmth and friendship.
Earlier that evening many joined a walk through the school, a journey through old memories that culminated in the ringing of the SJC Victory Bell. The bell, donated twenty years ago by the class of 2005, bears the inscription:
“Beware of the rashness
but with energy
and constant vigilance
go forward and give us victories.”
Looking back on the extraordinary journeys our classmates have taken across continents, industries and stages of life, it is clear that the spirit of that message has been lived out fully. The Class of 2005 has indeed gone forward and in many ways given St Johns College victories of its own.
We are thankful to the Executive Headmaster, Stuart West, the Old Johannian Association and the Advancement Office for their addresses and hospitality, and a special thanks to Zelda Siphenuka for her support in making this reunion possible. It was a weekend that reminded us not only of who we were twenty years ago, but also of the enduring pride and purpose we share as Johannians.
— Gerald Neves (Head of School 2005)
