Toyota South Africa encouraged children to dream big upon announcing the national winners of its annual Dream Car Art Contest at an award ceremony held at FCB in Sandton on 5 May. The contest, which is one of the largest globally, invites children from more than 80 countries and regions to share ideas about the future of mobility by drawing their dream cars.
2017 marks the 11th wave of the annual competition, which is categorised into three age groups: under 8 years old, 8 to 11 years old, and 12 to 15 years old. This year, the national competition ran from 17 January 2017 to 1 March 2017 and a whopping 16 955 submissions were received from all across South Africa.
After a rigorous judging process conducted by Glenn Crompton, Toyota SA’s Vice President for Marketing; and Tiaan van der Heever, Creative Director at FCB, the top five contestants from each age group were recognised and awarded prizes including PlayStations, Tablets, and the main prize of R10 000 in cash. The top three contestants from each category are subsequently entered into the international segment of the competition, which is held in Japan, and includes TMC President Akio Toyoda on the judging panel.
“The Dream Car Art Contest is undoubtedly one of the most inspiring events on our corporate calendar,” commented Reche van Niekerk, Senior Manager of Sponsorships and Promotions at Toyota SA. “These kids’ drawings are filled with ideas for improving our society, and portray their dreams of a better future. We are proud of the talent and imagination showcased by South African children through this competition,” added van Niekerk.
The overall winner of the different age categories for 2017 were Sumayyah Yusuf Moosa (under 8 years) with her submission of the UniYaris, a flying magical car; Celine Hamman (8 to 11 years) with the Nature Car that makes the world a cleaner place; and Danika Erasmus (12 to 15 years) for the Toyota Pet, a flexible car made out of Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) bottles.
“Toyota congratulates all of our winners and we hope that the Dream Car Art Contest continues to inspire children to chase their dreams year on year,” concluded van Niekerk.
