World Class South Africans

Nelson Mandela, Charlize Theron, Mamphela Ramphele, William Kentridge – these are some of the extraordinary achievers featured in this “100 World Class South Africans” app - the augmented reality partner to the 44-page special edition magazine, published by South African Sunday newspaper City Press.

“100 World Class South Africans”, appearing on Sunday, 28 April, 2013, was created by New Media for City Press in association with mining company Xstrata. The inaugural edition is included with the newspaper to commemorate Freedom Day. This app channels an extra virtual dimension to the magazine for smart device users and is the first of its kind in South Africa.

While the print version features one hundred extraordinary South Africans, this app profiles twelve of the most revered, exciting, innovative and sometimes unknown world class individuals that South Africa has produced. With a striking image, an inspirational quote, a short profile and a fun, fast “test-your-knowledge” quiz, this is an interactive animated experience, showing content at its technological best.

City Press Editor-in-Chief Ferial Haffajee describes the genesis of '100 World Class South Africans' as the need for journalism to celebrate South Africa's successes as well as its difficulties. South Africa should stand tall and proud amongst other great nation, she says.

"One of the many adverse legacies of apartheid is an often debilitating inferiority complex – if a system tells you often enough that you are not good enough, you begin to believe it," says Haffajee. "I think that sometimes we in South Africa still suffer the affliction. Here is a collection of men and women who can guide us to a different path, people who have reached beyond themselves, their destinies and often beyond accepted ability to do wonderful things. To make art, make peace, cross deserts, to judge, to bless, to act and to create. We salute them all and learn from the many wonderful examples of persistence, talent and truth-telling we chronicle here."

'100 World Class South Africans' celebrates the wonderful diversity in South Africa, the energy of our people and the way quality and sheer determination can overcome all obstacles.