Sunlight and Mxit have produced and launched a South African video clip of US Grammy-winner Pharrell Williams’ hit song turned global YouTube phenomenon Happy,and you could make someone happy just by sharing it.
Featuring a diverse group of South Africans, Happy South Africa is a civil movement powered by Sunlight and Mxit celebrating South Africa’s vibrancy, unity and joy through music and dance. For everyone who shares the video, Sunlight will donate R10 to the SA Ubuntu Foundation.
The Happy South Africa video features many ordinary South Africans, as well as media and entertainment personalities such as comedian Siv Ngesi, Heart 104.9FM DJ Suga and Hip Hop legend Emile Jansen who are filmed dancing to the Pharell Williams tune. Scenes were filmed across the country from the street barber in Mitchell’s Plain to the spice seller at Gorimas; including locations as diverse and iconic as Muizenberg and Durban beachfronts, Orlando Towers in Soweto, The Union Buildings in Pretoria and Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth.
The clip was shot by producer Nicki Priem and director Shamiel Soni who were also responsible for uploading a regional version, ‘Happy Cape Town”, to YouTube last month. he Mother City version of the clip has already earned more than 500 000 views.
‘Sunlight has been inspiring happiness through song and dance since 2009. With the key objective to promote unity through an act of sharing, in true Sunlight style the video is set to delight & unite South Africans through the power of music, dance & the common purpose of doing good,’ says Kerry Alicks, Senior Brand Building Manager for Sunlight. In order to encourage the country to ‘#ShareTheHappy, Sunlight will donate R10 for every share the video generates to the SA Ubuntu Foundation
Mxit has created a dedicated ‘Happy South Africa’ app serving as a catchment area for all campaign-related content including the filming schedule and sneak peek teaser videos. The app includes a competition element where South Africans can upload their #happymove pic and stand a chance to win a share of cash prizes to the value of R25 000. To date the app has 275 000 subscribers and over 8 000 competition entries have been received.

To unite South Africa ‘#ShareTheHappy’ and help raise R500 000 for the SA Ubuntu Foundation
• Follow the link to view the Happy South Africa video
• Share the Sunlight Happy SA video by clicking the “share” icon located under the video on YouTube. Use the hashtag #ShareTheHappy
Sunlight will then donate an amount up to R500 000 to the SA Ubuntu Foundation based on the number of shares.

Image: Mik Motala