The 2008 panel of judges

Ferial Haffajee Ferial Haffajee is the editor of South Africa's highly respected Mail & Guardian – and the first woman in the job. She is also a regular radio and television commentator, her areas of specialty being current affairs, media freedom and women's empowerment. Passionate about showcasing and profiling new young leaders, Ferial conceived and edited The Little Black Book, South Africa's comprehensive book of Black leaders across the country. She is also the editor of the annual Book of South African Women, which features 300 leaders in the private, public and civil society sectors. She has worked at Financial Mail as a senior editor, and at the SABC as a radio producer and television reporter. In 2004, she won the Shoprite Checkers Woman of the Year Award (Media and Communication) and two years later The Media magazine's Women in Media competition. Ferial has judged the annual Mondi Magazine Awards as well as the Inter Press Service Global Correspondent Awards. In 2006, Ferial was appointed chairperson of the South African National Editors' Forum. Ferial is also currently a columnist for The Media magazine and Maverick magazine.

Laurice Taitz Laurice Taitz is Managing Editor of www.thetimes.co.za, the digital home of The Times daily newspaper and South Africa's most influential weekly, the Sunday Times. Prior to her appointment, she was the editor of the award-winning weekend supplement, Sunday Times Lifestyle(2003-2007). She joined the company in 1996 after completing a Master's degree in African Literature at the University of the Witwatersrand and, over a more than 10-year period, has written articles on subjects as diverse as national politics, health, travel, books and fashion. From 2004, she spearheaded the development of the Sunday Times Literary Awards into the country's most prestigious accolade for local fiction and non-fiction, and designed a public literary programme that was staged at the inaugural Cape Town Book Fair in 2006, and another in 2007. A seasoned newspaper journalist and editor, she brings a wealth of insight to the judging process.

Siphiwe Mpye  Siphiwe Mpye is an entrepreneur involved in entertainment, media, communications, insights and trends. He is also a widely published freelance journalist and was the founding editor of BL!NK magazine, Africa's first high-end magazine targeted at Black men. As a journalist, he has covered lifestyle, travel, popular culture, politics, social issues, media, marketing and advertising for various publications including The Star, Sowetan, Sunday Independent, YMag and Tribute magazine. Prior to his appointment at BL!NK, he was the Associate Editor and columnist for Ymag and later acting content editor of the Saturday Star. Mpye is currently a director of Random Window Insights & Trends, a trends and insights consultancy specialising in the Black middle class. He is also a director of the Off Ramp Media & Entertainment, a talent management company representing personalities in the arts and entertainment. The company provides an end-to-end solution for entertainers, including media training, personal branding, imaging and life skills training. Mpye has served as a judge at both the Cape Town Film Festival at Sithengi (2005) and the South African Music Awards (2003-2006). He spends an inordinate amount of time obsessing about how he looks and has been recognized by GQ magazine as one of South Africa's best-dressed men (2006).

Jenny Crwys-Williams Jenny Crwys-Williams began her journalism career in the United Kingdom. She was deputy editor of Cambridge, Huntingdon and Peterborough Life and freelanced for the likes of the Guardian, The Daily Telegraph and The Field.  In 1976, she returned to South Africa as women's editor of the Natal Mercury, a position she held for six years. In 1984, Jenny was appointed Johannesburg bureau chief of Cosmopolitan, resigning after nine months to launch and edit Excellence magazine for the Sun International Group. She was founding editor for Changes, Choices and the Argus Group's Sunday Star magazine. As a freelancer, she edited Excellence, as well as contributed to Style and other South African publications. She was the sole South African contributor to the French Vogue historic December 1993 issue on South Africa, edited by Nelson Mandela. Voice tested by the BBC, she decided to move to radio. Today, Jenny currently hosts Radio 702's highly-rated weekday 'Jenny Crwys-Williams Show', which deals with topics which range from current affairs to food, from lifestyles to in depth interviews with prominent personalities and, of course, books – one of her main passions.

Dion Chang – Convener  Dion Chang is an innovator, creative thinker and visionary. He is a sought-after trend analyst and, while his feet remain firmly planted on African soil, he uses a global perspective to source new ideas, gauge the zeitgeist, and identify cutting-edge trends. Local and international corporations have turned to him as a consultant because of his ability to think outside the box. For fifteen years he has worked in various fields in the magazine and fashion industries, and currently operates as a freelance journalist and columnist specializing in social commentary. He has written a book based on his popular cartoon character Gloria, has sat on the judging panel of South Africa's premier magazine awards, and has faced the nation as a TV presenter. He is committed to growing the local fashion industry and has, through a variety of organizations, mentored the young guns of South African fashion design. His trends analysis company, Flux Trends, is responsible for launching the ground breaking annual Flux Trend Review.