Google Doodle winner for South Africa announced
Katya Ludick, a Grade 8 pupil from Noordheuwel High School in Krugersdorp, is the overall national winner of the Google Doodle competition, Google has announced.
A few months ago, in celebration of South Africa’s 20 years of freedom, Google invited school children from SA to create a Google Doodle depicting the “South Africa of Their Dreams”.
Google said it received thousands of entries from schools across the country.
Ludick created a nature-themed doodle, symbolising a South Africa free of poaching. “The reflection symbolises 20 years of freedom. In my South African dream, there is no more poaching. We must fight for those that can’t speak,” Ludick said of her doodle.
The doodle will appear on the Google South Africa homepage on 3 December 2014, and Noorheuwel High School also wins a R100,000 technology grant thanks to Ludick’s winning entry.
Doodle entries were categorised into four age groups: 6–8; 9–11; 12 –14; and 15–17. Judges picked the top 20 finalists, after which voting was opened to the public to choose the category winners as well as their ultimate winner.
The celebrity judges included: DJ Fresh, author John van De Ruit, Springbok Pat Lambie; Survivor winner Graham Jenneker, musician Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Spud actor Sven Ruygrok, and media and tech entrepreneur Seth Rotherham.
The 20 finalists were flown to Johannesburg for a special awards ceremony in the Maboneng district. The awards were presented by the judges, Deputy Minister of Communications Thembisa Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, and Google South Africa country director Luke Mckend.
The top twenty doodles can be seen on the Google South Africa website.
The category winners were:
- Age: 6–8 – Kayleigh Breytenbach – Sabie Preparatory School
- Age: 9–11 – Zehiye Rahman – Clarendon Preparatory School
- Age: 12–14 – Katya Ludick – Noordheuwel High School (Overall Winner)
- Age 15–17 – Alexandra Wuzyk – Secunda High School
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