LAW
1. Vincent Maleka, SC: Highly rated Johannesburg advocate. Definitely Chief Justice material.
2. Thoba Poyo: The chair of the Law Society of South Africa’s Gender Equality Committee. At 26, Poyo is the youngest person to be elected a councillor of the Law Society.
SPORT
3. Graeme Smith: The youngest captain of South African cricket side yet. A left-handed batsman and natural leader, he is the current International Young Cricketer of the Year.
4. Makhaya Ntini: A much-improved fast bowler who is now reaching his peak. Kissing the hallowed turf at Lord’s after his “ten-fer” was a recent highlight of his career.
5. Derick Hougaard: At 20, the Blue Bulls and Springbok flyhalf one of the few bright spots in an otherwise gloomy South African rugby scene.
6. Ashwin Willemse: One of the few black Springboks and current rugby player of the year. In a sport still littered with racial tripwires, Willemse turned in a notable World Cup performance.
7. Mbulelo Mabizela: The youngest player to captain South Africa’s national football team. Now plays for English side Tottenham Hotspur.
8. Zodwa Khoza: After inheriting Orlando Pirates from her father, she will become the club’s MD and the most powerful woman in South African and African soccer.
9. Nomsa Chabeli: The marketing guru behind the South African World Cup 2010 soccer bid.
10. Steven Pienaar: Midfielder for Ajax Amsterdam, recently appointed captain of the side. Will be pivotal to South Africa’s 2006 and 2010 World Cup campaigns.
11. Trevor Immelman: Our best young golfer, expected to reach his peak at the same time as peers Sergio Garcia and Charles Howell III.
RELIGION
12. Rev Father Buti Tlhagale: The first black archbishop of the Johannesburg Diocese of the Catholic Church. He will be the face of the Catholic Church’s “culturation” programme, aimed at incorporating indigenous beliefs and practices.
13. Rabbi Dr Warren Goldstein: At 32, the Chief Rabbi-elect is the youngest man yet to assume this position. Has co-authored a book with Dumani Mandela, African Soul Talk.
ARTS
14. Sylvester Maziyane: A confident jazz pianist in the mould of another master, Moses Molelekwa. Currently a session musician, but greatness beckons.
15. Thembi Seete: Her performance in Aubrey Sekhabi’s stage-play On My Birthday suggests that the former Boom Shaka teen vocalist has found her true calling.
16. Kabelo Mabalane: The former TKZ vocalist has pulled through a damaging brush with hard drugs to launch a successful solo career.
17. Kabelo “KB” Motselanyane: In her latest single, she declares in SeTswana and French that she wants to rock the world. We’re sure she will.
18. Thabiso Sekwani: Broke new ground as a female jazz show host, and has now replaced Eric Miyeni as afternoon talk-show host on SAfm. Has won respect with her light, yet intelligent, commentary.
19. David Kau: A black pioneer in the white-dominated world of stand-up comics. Now experimenting with a posse of talented peers on the Pure Monate Show.
20. Phaswane Mpe: With his debut novel, Welcome to Our Hillbrow, Mpe brought a post-modern metropolitan sensibility to the ages-old “Jim Comes to Jo’burg” theme.
21. K Sello Duiker: A prize-winner for his novella Thirteen Cents, which he followed with the hefty, complex novel The Quiet Violence of Dreams, he tackles darker aspects bing young and black in South Africa.
22. Maakomele “Mac” Manaka: One of the most exciting poets to emerge in the post-apartheid era, he recently launched his volume If Only. Just 20, he has featured in the Urban Voices International Spoken Word Festival.
23. Kgafela oa Mogogodi: Controversial poet and playwright, and Wits teacher, he brought his searing verbal talent to bear on Aids and sex in his volume Thy Condom Come.
24. Oscar “Oskido” Mdlongwa: An international club DJ and owner of record label Kalawa Jazmee, he has produced some of the most influential popular music acts, from Boom Shaka to Mafikizolo.
25. Mncedisi Shabangu: A gifted actor, director and playwright who began his career at the Market Theatre Laboratory. Was the 2004 recipient of the Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Drama.
26. Kathryn Smith: A curator and conceptual artist, The Mail & Guardian’s art critic won the Standard Bank’s 2004 award for the visual arts.
27. Melissa Goba: The assistant curator at the Goodman Gallery is establishing a presencee in a white-dominated field.
28. Norman Maake: Director of the highly acclaimed Soldiers of the Rock, which won two awards at showcase festivals at Cape Town’s Sithengi film market.
29. Karen Zoid: Brussels-born, she is the reigning prophetess of Afrikaans rock and winner of a number of music awards. The natural successor to rebel Afrikaans stars like Johannes Kerkorrel.
30. Yfm: The butt-kicking youth station will continue to set trends in popular culture and entertainment. It provides a platform for a range of popular icons, including DJs Khabzela and Rudeboy Paul
31. Rage Productions: Leaders in multimedia production and now record industry entrepreneurs after the launch of Outrageous Records. Journalist Maria McCloy and her team continue to break new ground in the field of popular culture.
JOURNALISM
32. Justice Malala: The founding editor of South Africa’s youngest daily, ThisDay. A journalist of integrity whose writing is widely admired.
33. Mondli Makhanya: Sunday Times editor-designate, who began on the Mail & Guardian and returned to edit this paper for a year and give it new life. Few South African editors enjoy as much respect from their peers and political movers and shakers.
34. Siphiwe Sibeko: This self-taught multi-award-winning photographer continues to make The Star’s photographic department click.
POLITICS
35. Kgosi Lebone Molotlegi: The head of the Bafokeng people. Jazz pianist Abdullah Ibrahim’s Blues for a Hip King could easily have been dedicated to this young monarch.
36. Mandisi Mphahlwa: Deputy minister of finance and thought to be close to the president, he is a strong contender for premier of the Eastern Cape.
37. Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula: Elevated to the post of deputy minister of home affairs after brief but distinguished stint as African National Congress chief whip in Parliament.
38. Dipuo Peters: The Northern Cape Heath MEC has been tipped as the likely successor to provincial Premier Manne Dipico, who must step down after next year’s election.
39. Jabu Moleketi: Gauteng’s widely respected finance MEC is expected to graduate to the national Parliament after the election. Tipped to succeed Trevor Manuel.
40. David Makhura: The Gauteng secretary of the ANC is destined for the upper echelons of the party machine.
41. Khanyo Gqulu: Minerals Minister Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka’s spokesperson has a thorough grasp of industry issues ranging from the mining charter to the petroleum business. A potential senior civil servant in his own right.
42. Thabang Makwetla: The Mpumalanga minister of safety and security enjoys the favour of the ANC’s national leadership and is tipped as the province’s next premier.
43. Nathi Nhleko: The ANC chief whip in Parliament has made a favourable impact as an efficient backroom organiser.
44. Patrick Chauke: The chairperson of the home affairs committee in the National Assembly has steered the committee through a number of controversies.
45. Helen Zille: Leader of the Opposition in the Western Cape legislature and DA head in the Cape Town metro. Bright (if somewhat abrasive), and tireless in promoting the DA in the metro’s black townships.
46. Raenette Taljaard: Clever and articulate, the DA’s parliamentary finance spokesman is destined to move quickly up the party hierarchy.
47. Tasneem Essop: A former United Democratic Front activist who is coming into her own as the ANC’s no-nonsense transport and public works minister in the Western Cape.
48. Nick Clelland-Stokes: The DA’s director of communications is quitting Parliament, but seems destined to become a key party strategist.
49. Mangaliso Kubheka: The national organiser of the Landless People’s Movement (LPM) is a tireless organiser of farmworkers.
50. Maureen Mnisi: The LPM’s Gauteng chairperson. A committed campaigner in the cause of the landless and homeless.
51. Musa Zondi: The deputy minister of public works and spokesperson for the Inkatha Freedom Party is the IFP’s only visible rising star. Likely to succeed as party leader.
52. Ashwin Desai: Active in the Durban social movement, the Concerned Citizens’ Forum. Powerful speaker with a keen intellect.
53. David Masondo: Chairperson of the Young Communist League and head of Limpopo province’s local government minister’s office at the age of 28.
54. Lesetja Kganyago: Rising star in the national treasury. Currently heads economic policy and international financial relations in the department. A D-G in the making.
ACADEME
55. Loyiso Nongxa: With a glittering career in mathematics behind him, he is distinguishing himself as an energetic vice-chancellor at Wits.
56: Sarah Nuttall: Literature specialist at Wits University who is pushing the boundaries of social and cultural analysis.
57. Achille Mbembe: Equally talented Wits academic who is blazing a trail in the field of sexuality.
58. Theuns Eloff: The sophisticated vice-chancellor of Potchefstroom University is hotly tipped to head the new merged tertiary institution in the North-West.
59: Faranaaz Veriawa: Hot-shot legal academic at the Centre for Applied Legal Studies, who is breaking new ground in legal literacy.
BUSINESS
60: Jonathan Oppenheimer: The heir to the Anglo American empire has shown himself to be socially and politically sussed. Key mover in the Brenthurst Initiative.
61: Justin Nurse: Alternative entrepreneur who shot to prominence when SAB Miller tried to suppress his mock-branded T-shirts.
62. Ipeleng Moloto: Founded Phosa Iliso, the first black woman-owned CCTV business. Has now started Motseng Marriot Property Services, South Africa’s biggest black empowerment property management firm.
63. Thabo Kobokoane: Executive manager in Johncom CEO Connie Molusi’s office. The former Business Times reporter-turned businessman is hard-working and focused.
64. Maria Ramos: Now Transnet CEO-elect, she looks set to write a possibly more dramatic chapter in her civil service career.
65. Mandla Gantsho: The CEO of the Development Bank of Southern Africa has what it takes to be a future Reserve Bank governor. Has reformed the DBSA.
66. [and 67] Andile Mazwai and Phumzile Langeni: Respectively CEO and executive director of Barnard Jacob Mallet, the brokerage firm that helped establish Mazwai securities, they are leading empowerment figures.
68. Kennedy Bungana: A director of Standard Corporate and Merchant Bank, he was instrumental in the formulation of the financial services charter.
69. Harold Bopalamo: One of the few ranked black analysts, Bopalamo is a telecoms analyst at BJM and impresses with his incisive grasp of telecoms investments.
70. Dennis Mashile: The former mining analyst at HSBC has now set up his own investment consultancy.
71. Heather Sonn: CEO of Legae Securities, with extensive experience in financial services. Already an influential empowerment player.
72. Goolam Ballim: Senior treasury economist at Standard Corporate & Merchant Bank, who is thriving under the tutelage of respected economist Iraj Abedian.
73. Bernard Swanepoel: Harmony Gold CEO, who understands the opportunities presented by empowerment. Gives the corporate world a racy touch by dispensing with the tie.
74. Adrian Gore: As CEO of Discovery Health and a First Rand executive, he has exposure to two key industries under pressure to provide access and better service to the poor.
75. Wendy Lucas-Bull: Head of First Rand’s retail cluster, and the bank’s CEO in waiting.
76. Brian Molefe: CEO of the Public Investment Commission, he has used the R300-billion in the public service pension fund to drive empowerment.
77. Benjamin Mophatlane: Was voted the Computer Society of South Africa’s 2002 IT Personality of the Year in recognition of his achievements.
78. Hamilton Ratshefola: A founder member of Cornastone Technology Holdings who has had an illustrious career since he started with IBM.
79. Tshepo Boikanyo: Strategic marketing executive of the parastatal IT company Arivia.kom. Highly regarded.
80. Mncedisi Mayekiso: Enterprise Connection CEO. Left his job at Microsoft to buy an empowerment stake in the then white-owned and controlled IT company.
81. Gary Morolo: Executive chairperson of Datacentrix. He has chaired the company through several years of growth, acquisitions and organisational integration.
82. Yolanda Cuba: Deputy CEO of Tokyo Sexwale’s Mvelaphanda Holdings. Exposure to the company’s multiple sectors should equip this chartered accountant for the challenges of transformation.
83. Bruce Hemphill: The incoming CEO of Stanlib, the country’s largest asset management firm.
84. Nkenke Kekana: Personable and clued-up, the former chairperson of the communications portfolio committee is now Telkom’s general manager, regulatory affairs.
85. Thebe Ikalafeng: South Africa’s best-dressed man, the MD of consultancy Brand Leadership has emerged as a branding and advertising guru.
86. Donald Liphoko: The deputy media director of the major advertising company, FCB Headspace, is also media director of FCB Africa, represented in 34 African countries.
87. Andile Ngcaba: The recently departed communications director-general will be keenly watched as he enters a sector he has shaped over the past decade.
88. Mpho Makwana: CEO of the Marketing Federation of South Africa. Although not yet 40, he is already a marketing and advertising industry veteran.
89. Zeona Motshabi: She and her partners in the Lobedu Consortium raised the black empowerment bar in the advertising industry when they bought a controlling stake in Leo Burnett SA.
90. Mike Schalit: The Net#work BBDO creative director and his MD Keith Shipley are behind a series of memorable campaigns for Cell C.
91. Nolo Letele: The Multichoice CEO has spearheaded the satellite television company’s successful drive into Africa.
92. Kim Pentstone: The Marketingweb publisher has managed to make an online product profitable.
93. [and 94] Nina Morris and Angel Jones: Joint owners of Morrisjones&co, who bought and renamed M&C Saatchi SA.
MEDICINE
95. Glenda Gray: The head of Chris Hani-Baragwanath hospital’s HIV/ Aids unit has helped develop national and international policy on paediatric HIV and mother-to-child transmission of the virus.
96. Ian Sanne: The director of Wits University’s Aids clinical trials unit launched a partnership with the University of Northern Carolina to develop and expand HIV clinical research in Africa.
FASHION
97. Nkhensani Manganyi: Her label, Stoned Cherrie, has become a force in Afro-chic couture.
98. [and 99] Sechaba Mogale and Wandile Nzimande: The founders of the Loxion Kulca clothing label have given township street gear commercial credibility.
100. Paul Simon: Founded the Young Designer’s Emporium in 1994, a platform that allows aspiring South African designers to produce cutting-edge fashion at affordable prices.