At just 12 and 13 years old, sisters Mila and Alexandra Papanicolaou represented South Africa at MindHack 2025 in Bangkok, creating an innovative project to safeguard the Parthenon and taking home a Gold Medal for their groundbreaking work.
Bangkok, Thailand (28 November 2025) – Imagine a tool that could tell you what might happen to one of the world’s most iconic monuments decades before it happens.
Two young South Africans are making waves on the global stage, proving that age is no barrier to innovation. Mila Papanicolaou and her sister Alexandra represented South Africa, ScopeIT, and SAHETI at MindHack 2025, a technology and innovation competition held in Bangkok.
The sisters impressed the judges with their project, CultureDNA, Parthenon Heritage Preservation, which uses real-world data to identify risks to the Parthenon, a globally recognised symbol of Greek culture. Their solution aims to safeguard the monument for another 2,500 years. This blends cutting-edge technology with a deep appreciation for cultural heritage.
What if there was a way to see the risks to our cultural monuments before the damage happens? That’s the idea behind CultureDNA, a cutting-edge platform that reads the ‘blueprint’ of heritage sites and spots risks.
“It’s like a genome sequence for heritage sites, helping us understand and protect them before damage takes hold,” the sisters shared.
Mila and Alexandra’s work earned them first place and a gold medal at the competition, highlighting their creativity, technical skill, and dedication to protecting history. While Mila presented the project in Bangkok, Alexandra followed along from home, demonstrating the teamwork and bond that brought the project to life.
“This isn’t just about a monument. The Parthenon is one of the largest pillars of our heritage and identity. Preserving it is part of protecting who we are.”
The sisters’ accomplishments extend beyond MindHack. Just days before, Mila competed in the Commonwealth Chess Tournament in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, placing 6th out of 28 competitors, finishing as both the top South African and the highest-placed African.
Together, Mila and Alexandra are showcasing the immense talent of young South Africans and proving that innovation and cultural pride can go hand in hand on the world stage.
In short, CultureDNA combines science, technology and culture to help preserve history. It’s a perfect example of how innovation can make a real difference, showing that with the right tools, we can protect heritage for future generations.
Catch the full video here to hear them break down the magic behind CultureDNA.
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