Google asks South African kids to dream and draw the country a doodle

We’ve had everything from bacteria and chocolate-covered insects to a functioning Rubik’s Cube — but Google’s not done yet.

The search giant is inviting South African children between the ages of 6 and 17 to submit their entries and be the artist behind a custom country doodle, themed ‘South Africa of My Dreams’, which will run on the Google home page for millions to see.

It’s the first time the nation will be running a dedicated Doodle for Google competition for its domain (Google.co.za), following years of international competitions and a once-off local doodle to celebrate the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Google has set up a dedicated site for schools, teachers and aspiring doodlers to enter their masterpieces which incorporate the company’s logo. All they have to do is complete an entry form and submit it to Google by October 22, who will select the best work with the help of a panel of judges including Yvonne Chaka Chaka and DJ Fresh.

The top artwork in various age groups will then be presented to the public, who can vote to select the final category winners. After that, a Google doodler will select an overall winner, who will receive R100 000 worth of technology for their school, an Android tablet and a R500 Google Play voucher. There are also tablets and Google goodie bags on offer to junior doodlers who make it to different stages.