Special Report | 100 Young South Africans June 2007

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Our choices of tomorrow's people: Now here's a publication to warm our mid-winter hearts. Here are 100-and-something young South Africans you have to take to lunch. And if not to lunch, certainly to have in your sights and on your Rolodexes. This is the second year of our publication and it grows from strength to strength.
SPIRIT: Warren Goldstein, Upkaar Mungar, Natalie Simons, Leigh Meinert and Odwa Gonya.
MEDIA & ADVERTISING: Nikiwe Bikitsha, Regan Thaw, Bongani B Nxumalo, Mandy Wiener, Uveka Rangappa, Nontyatyambo Petros, Koketso Sachane, Redi Direko, Unathi Batyashe-Fillis, Thomas Sipho Mlambo, Africa Melane, Siki Mgabadeli, Tsepiso Makwetla, Damon Stapleton and Grant Nash.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: Tlhabeli Ralebitso and Godfrey Mbingo.
ENVIRONMENT: Belinda Reyers, Kerry Sink, Yolan Friedmann, Melissa Fourie, Kerryn Morrison and Wanda Mkutshulwa.
POLITICS: David Masondo, Phakamani Hadebe and Thulasizwe Buthelezi.
ENTREPRENEURS: Nicholas M Mosikidi, Tebogo Lehutso, Ronald Moyo, Zibusiso Mkhwanazi, Chene Molotsi, Sizwe Sithole, Nthabiseng Thabethe and Psychology Cebekhulu.
EDUCATION & SCIENCE: Raenette Taljaard, Tshilidzi Marwala, Stuart Wilson, Zandile Mciza, Karin Jacobs, Mamokgethi Setati and Carol Simon.
CIVIL SOCIETY: Fikile Mbalula, Carrie Shelver, Dirk Hermann, Elizabeth O'Leary, Fatima Hassan, Judith February, Ruth Hall, Silumko Radebe and Tshepiso Raletsemo.
BUSINESS: Réjane Woodroffe, Batlhako Ntsime, Chia-Chao Wu, Ciko Thomas, Thebe Ikalafeng, Mncedisi Mayekiso, Vusi Mahlangu, Denzil Fillis, Donald Kau, Lebo Madiba, Nano Mothibi-Gasenewe, Kevin Mabanga, Yashivan Govender, Nkaxa Nkuna, Nazmeera Moola, Vuyo Jack, Cora Fernandez, Thuli Khumalo, Muneer Ismail, Samuel Mokorosi, Uleesha Harrichand, Feroz Basa, Nothando Ndebele, Monale Ratsoma, Siyabulela Pasch Daylie and Vusi Mhlanzi.

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Prim Lizzy could teach thin-skinned Zuma a thing or two by author

Realising the potential of electricity by author

Dear Africa by author

The economic week in review: More troubling signs by author

Zuma painting: Spearing the psyche and esteem of a nation by author

“A better life for all”: The case for a youth wage subsidy by author

How can we see from this high horse? by author

For more visit Thought Leader here

The team

Mail & Guardian

Stefane Potas, who just about makes the cut-off age of 35. Her favourite lunch spot is the Blue Marlin in Boksburg.

Kelly Fletcher, the design maestro and sub-editor who turned the idea for this publication into a thing of beauty. Her favourite lunch spot is Babylon Again in Randburg.

Matthew Krouse is young at heart and loves eating anything that’s low GI.

Yolandi Groenewald is our environmental reporter and profiled all the young green leaders, plus others. Her favourite lunch spot is Soi in Melville.

David Macfarlane is evergreen and loves eating at Gema in Kensington.

Nicole Johnston, our office Red and redhead, enjoys lunch from Rohini, who cooks good-energy vegetarian food and is available on 083 381 1159.

Jocelyn Newmarch wrote most of the business profiles. She is our office Woolies queen, but also is addicted to the food served at Karma in Greenside.

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EDITOR'S LETTER Nic Dawes Editor-in-chief Mail & Guardian The Mail & Guardian is well known for tough journalism and we can, at times, serve up a pretty depressing menu of bad people doing bad things. It is not, however, gratuitous misery. Robust investigative and political writing aims to hold open space in our society for the building of a richer democracy, in all possible ways. Our annual survey of Young South Africans is really the flipside of our investigative work. It's an effort to identify and recognize the emerging talents whose work thrills us with its potential. When we put them all together in one room for lunch, we get an extraordinary sense of a country being born around us. And far from being just future stars, our 200 picks are making real impacts now within their own fields, but crucially beyond them too. We have reduced numbers this year, not because there are fewer young stars in the country, but because we want to be rigorous in selection, and stricter about the 35-year cut-off. On the other hand, we have included a few brilliant non-native South Africans who have made South Africa their home and applied their enormous energies to our complicated, sometimes daunting, national project. We aren't opposed to xenophobia just because it involves abuses of human rights, but because we also know we are vastly better off when we are open to the world. A smaller sample has also allowed us to pay more attention to each of the people we do profile, and I think that's evident in the improved writing, photography and design that characterise this year's edition. As ever, we pass over people who I think are some of the most promising young South Africans you are likely to meet anywhere -- those journalists in our own newsroom, many of whom help to make this supplement happen, including Lynley Donnelly, Lionel Faull, Lloyd Gedye, Yolandi Groenewald, Tarryn Harbour, Karabo Keepile, Matuma Letsoalo, Mmanaledi Mataboge, Duduzile Mathebula, Phathisani Moyo, Faranaaz Parker, Verashni Pillay, Mandy Rossouw, Lisa Steyn, Valencia Talane, Niren Tolsi, Vuvu Vena, Lisa van Wyk and Percy Zvomuya, and our photographers Paul Botes, Oupa Nkosi, Lisa Skinner, David Harrison and Delwyn Verasamy. Tanya Pampalone has done an extraordinary job of wrangling them-- even very good journalists are not easily organized -- and editing the product that you have in your hands. So, if you really want to engage with the potential this country holds, and borrow a bit of momentum from those who are really moving it forward, book a table and grab a plate of optimism.

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Foreword Andile Sangqu, Executive Director Xstrata South Africa: The Mail &Guardian publishes this special edition on South Africa's youth leaders during a time in which the eyes of the world are focused on our land. The Fifa World Cup is going to be the most successful ever, and that is in large part due to the collective contribution of many South Africans, in different ways, but all significant. When it ends on July 11, the world will sit up and take notice of an African continent that is waking up from decades of struggle and under-achievement. Of critical importance is that all South Africans takes the lead in keeping the momentum generated by this historic event so that our country can move forward, an endeavour in which young people from all walks of life have a central role to play. Their optimism, boundless energy and determination to make the country great cannot go to waste at a time when the country, and its youth in particular, still face so many challenges. This special edition attempts to recognise some of the most promising young people the country has produced. Please take note of them, work with and guide them to make them even better South Africans for the sake of our future. As an organisation, Xstrata has made a decision to seek and utilise all opportunities available to contribute to nation building and economic growth. It is everyone's responsibility. To see who our 200 Young South Africans for 2011 are click here.

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Who is missing?

The team

EDITOR'S LETTER

Foreword

To see who our 200 Young South Africans for 2011 are click here.