Following last year’s winner, Leezy Lindokuhle – now taking Mzansi’s hip-hop scene by storm – Sunlight’s iconic green bar returns to inspire aspiring rappers and dancers to bring their unique voices to the movement.
Over the years, the Sunlight green bar has become more than just a household staple – it’s a part of Mzansi culture. Loved and trusted for generations, it shows up everywhere: at kasi salons, student res, car washes, and in pre-groove beauty rituals. This year, Sunlight is taking that deep cultural connection to the next level with ‘Raise The Bar’, a challenge that transforms an everyday icon – the Sunlight green bar – into a platform for young people to express themselves through music and dance.
The movement grows beyond rap to include a dynamic dance category. Legendary collaborators Rouge and MashBeatz – fresh off his hit collaboration, ‘Nobody’ with Nasty C and Usimamane – lead the charge for aspiring rappers, while dance powerhouses Shakes & Les set the rhythm for dancers ready to express themselves and own the stage.
Dance duo Shakes & Les, who recently released their new EP ‘Estradini’, share: “We wanted to create a beat and rhythm that felt powerful and uplifting – something that sparks movement anywhere, from the stage to the street, and lets young people bring their own energy to ‘Raising The Bar.’”
The challenge runs from 29 September to 28 November 2025, with entries shared on social platforms by tagging @sunlightza and using #RaiseTheBarWithSunlight. Winners will be revealed at key moments leading up to the finale, where the overall winners will be announced.
Leezy Lindokuhle is stepping into the spotlight with Sunlight’s latest campaign, one that champions self-confidence, authentic expression, and staying true to yourself. As an artist and voice of her generation, Leezy embodies the campaign’s message—encouraging people to embrace who they are without apology. We sat down with her to unpack what this journey means and how it connects to her own story. Here’s what she had to say in a short Q&A.
You were the winner of the #DropYourBarWithSunlight competition last year. Tell me about the experiences you have had since winning last year and what are you doing for the campaign this year?
I’ve been using Sunlight since I was a child so I feel like the brand is part of my life. With Sunlight, I chose to take my chance and now, I am proud to be associated with the brand. Winning the competition gave me unexpected opportunities and it reminded me that I am on the right path.
We think its such a great collaboration because Sunlight is an authentic brand and you are equally as authentic. How do you always find yourself championing for authenticity in the music?
I was born and raised in Snake Park, so I am a proud Sowetan. Today, we are in Pimville and like any other hood, we get to see what’s real, with no filter. We see how hard people are pushing to make it out of the hood and create better lives for themselves. At the core, that is my story. Being from the hood, authenticity is what makes me. It is what God has called me to do so I can motivate those who will come after me.
We are at the tail end of 2025. What can we expect from you for the rest of the year?
I don’t like to say too much when it comes to my future plans but what I can share is that I am in the studio and I’m cooking. I know I haven’t dropped in a minute but I’m taking things one step at a time cause I’m a lady with a plan. I hate rushing into things. You’ll just have to wait and see what happens next.
As Sunlight’s Marketing Manager, Noni Makhanya is at the forefront of driving campaigns that go beyond the product—tapping into themes of self-confidence, expression, and authenticity. With the latest campaign, she highlights the brand’s mission to empower people to shine in their truest form. We caught up with Noni to dive deeper into the inspiration behind the campaign and the impact she hopes it will have.
What went into the Sunlight #RaiseTheBar Campaign?
Actually, the people spoke to us. People were on TikTok using the product in the way that they are using it in the campaign, and we caught onto the trend. We then decided to create a campaign and a platform that people could leverage. That’s when we conceptualised the #RapYourBar campaign, which we ran last year. The competition is created for the young person who wants to express themself.
How can people get involved with the campaign?
Anyone can get involved. The mechanic is to buy a bar, raise a bar and stand a chance to win a bar. All you have to do is buy a 250-gram Sunlight bar. On the bar, there is a WhatsApp line where you load your till slip. From there, you enter your details and we will then send you a link with two beats. One beat is a hip-hop beat that you can rap on and the other is an amapiano beat. You can upload your video to whichever platform you prefer and the number of likes determine the grand prize winner.
From an influencer point of view, who is involved in the campaign?
Last year, we had Leezy Lindokuhle as our winner, and this year we are going to be featuring her as an influencer. Last year, the platform opened doors for her. She gets invited to some of the biggest hip-hop events and she has some of her music out and we are very proud of her. This year, we have stepped it up a notch by adding a dance genre – Amapiano. We have the likes of Hope Ramafalo and Limpopo Boy coming in, and within rap and hip-hop, we have Rouge and Tyson Sybateli to name a few.
What is the overall spirit of the campaign?
The campaign is centred around self-expression; come with the creativity. There aren’t a lot of platforms like this that allow normal people to show up in their authentic way, and that is what the platform is for.
What makes the #RaiseYourBar platform different from other platforms?
This platform is more of an expressive platform. We made this platform just to formalise it for the people. The platform is great because it opens doors for up-and-coming talent.
Why did you choose music and dance for the campaign?
Music and dance allow you to express yourself. When you are dancing, you express yourself through movement and when you are singing, you vocalise your expression and that is what we stand for as Sunlight. We’ve been around for 134 years and we know that people use the product in different ways. We didn’t want to limit the ways in which you express yourself. We also wanted to create a platform to showcase your talent.
In closing, what does an iconic brand like Sunlight mean to South Africa?
The Sunlight brand is a huge part of the DNA of the country. To put it simply, it’s the nomayini bar.