Rethabile Mosia, Industrial Design, Tyesha Billett, Graphic Design , Lerato Matobako, Multimedia Design and Courtney Hodgson, Graphic Design, the University of Johannesburg honours students who formed the all-women team that won first place at the AAKRUTI Global 2025 Design Competition.
Image: University of Johannesburg
An all-women team from the University of Johannesburg (UJ) has won first place at the AAKRUTI Global 2025 Design Competition, becoming the first all-female team to achieve the top position at the international event.
The finals were held in Texas, United States, from February 1 to 4, where UJ students from the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture (FADA) competed against universities from around the world.
The winning team, part of UJ’s Wom+n in Tech initiative, developed Latch, a pedal-powered breast pump designed for use in communities where electricity and healthcare infrastructure are unreliable.
The device was created by honours students Rethabile Mosia (Industrial Design), Lerato Matobako (Multimedia Design), and Courtney Hodgson and Tyesha Billett (Graphic Design).
Operating without electricity and compatible with standard bottles and reusable containers, the design aims to reduce dependence on proprietary equipment while limiting plastic waste.
Latch, the pedal-powered breast pump developed by a University of Johannesburg all-women honours team, won first place at the AAKRUTI Global 2025 Design Competition.
Image: University pf Johannesburg
Pia Findlay, co-ordinator of the Wom+n in Tech programme, said the achievement reflects the role of the initiative in supporting women in technology-led innovation.
“These achievements reflect the growing impact of FADA’s Wom+n in Tech initiative in supporting women to participate meaningfully in technology-led innovation. By creating a space for confidence, collaboration and experimentation, the initiative enables students to apply 4IR technologies and sustainable, human-centred design approaches to real-world social challenges.”
Two members of the team travelled to Texas to present their solution at the international finals.
Explaining the need for the product, the team said: “Imagine being a new mother in a township in South Africa or a rural village in India. Your baby won’t latch, you only have a glass jar, and the electricity cuts out again. That’s the reality Latch was designed to change.”
The team plans to launch the product within the next year and aims to partner with NGOs and NPOs to support distribution in rural and underserved communities.
UJ also secured the first runner-up position through a separate team of third-year Industrial Design students for Dr Bou, a wearable device designed to reduce anxiety in children during injections using cold and vibration therapy.
Industrial Design Head of Department Martin Bolton said the results reflected the strength of the faculty’s approach to training designers.
“We place strong emphasis on developing future problem solvers and innovators. The success of an all-women team at this level reflected the confidence, rigour, and capability of our designers. Achieving both first and second place among all international entries reinforces the strength of the Faculty, the University and the quality of the work that we produce.”