Google SA scores with football competition

The Google Doodle is the drawing that appears on top of its logo on the search engine's homepage on special occasions. The winner of the South African competition will receive a laptop and his or her doodle will be displayed on the South African homepage for 24 hours during the FIFA 2010 World Cup, where millions of people will have a chance to see it. The winner will then square off against the winners from other competing countries.

The ultimate, global winning Doodle will go up on the global home page on the day of the World Cup final, July 11th and win a 10-day trip with his or her family to South Africa and the runner-up will win 2 VIP tickets (for the winner and a parent) to a premier league football match in the UK.

South African judges

A panel of judges including award-winning artist Jonathan Shapiro (also known as Zapiro), former Pop Idols Africa presenter, Lebogang Mzwimbi, Google South Africa's country manager, Stephen Newton and Sandra Fivaz, editor of the Sunday Times Read Right supplement, will choose ten finalists along with a team of Googlers.

Public voting will kick-off on 1 June 2010 and South Africans will be given a chance to vote for their winning Doodle, online or by SMS.

Commenting on the launch, Newton said, "This allows us to celebrate amazing people, places and events - and South Africa has all of that this year! This is a great opportunity for South Africans to shape the way it looks for a day. We have opened the competition up to all learners and schools across the country, and I am really looking forward to seeing the creativity and ideas that we get back."

Mzwimbi, former Idols Africa Presenter, currently presenter on M-Net's Studio 53, said, "No doubt about it, South Africa does have talent and this is a great opportunity to show this to the rest of the world. I am definitely rooting for South Africa to win the global competition. In judging the competition, we will be looking for that capture the spirit of football and fair play, the culture of South Africa and show creative thinking and artistic flair."

Registration packs, online

Over two thousand schools will be sent registration and information packs in the coming week. Entry forms will also be available in The Sunday Times on the 11 April and at www.google.co.za/lovefootball.