SA has some of the most incredible vistas in the world. Our cities are hubs of fun and culture, and our streets sport a diversity seen nowhere else in the world. But the high crime rate remains one of our biggest problems, and not just your average theft, but violent crime.
One really prominent example is the story of a young girl murdered last week in her father's home. Not only was she killed, but her hands were cut off at the wrists and possibly taken as “trophies”, say police. They have yet to find the murderer.
In 2007, local musician Lucky Dube was shot dead in a hijacking, in Rosettenville.
In response to this senseless violence, local musicians and Prime Media's Crime Line have joined forces to battle the high rate of crime in SA, in a campaign that could become an online meme.
Big names
When I started writing this column, it was on a different topic altogether, but after listening to 702 this morning on my way to work, I realised just what a strong campaign this could be and how important it is to give it some coverage.
The campaign is called SHOUT and is the brainchild of musos Danny K and Kabelo. Essentially, these guys have gathered all of SA's hit musicians, and covered the Tears for Fears hit single, “Shout”.
Because of the nature of the campaign, the creative genius behind it, and its pervasive presence, I believe the campaign will be an incredible success.
Candice, telecoms editor, ITWeb
The final product is incredible, and can possibly be called one of the best cover songs made in the country. The song, complete with music video, features a star-studded line-up, including: The Parlotones, Karen Zoid, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Freshly Ground, HHP, Lira, Prime Circle, Hugh Masakela, The Soweto Gospel Choir, Watershed, Loyiso, Steve Hofmeyer, Louise Carver, Tasha Baxter and Kurt Darren.
Danny K and Kabelo have also managed to get some serious South African businesses on as sponsors of the campaign, proving that all South Africans want to battle the crime situation we face every day.
Phone downloads
The first part of the campaign taps into one of SA's largest technology resources, the mobile phone. The campaign encourages locals to download the song to their phones by SMSing the short code SHOUT to 33335.
Each SMS received will see the foundation, created to handle the financials, donate R20 to the fight against crime. The mobile operators have also heeded the call and will not charge the foundation for the SMSes. Instead, all the money will go towards getting bulletproof vests for police, and other essentials that our men and women on the ground need every day.
The campaign only got off the ground yesterday, and already the SMS lines are packed with South Africans hoping to make a difference. I sent my SMS this morning, and am still waiting for the SMS server to catch up with me.
Online is king
The campaign also has a heavy social networking presence, from channels on YouTube, to Facebook pages that are already brimming with followers. The Twitter tag is #shoutsa, although it's still quiet on the microblog.
The next part of the campaign is to sell the video, created by some of the most imaginative minds in the business. This will also be available for download from the campaign Web site, www.shoutsa.com.
The video is an artwork, and South Africans hoping to get a glimpse of it before it goes on sale will not be disappointed. Do yourself a favour, ask your IT department to unblock YouTube just for a few minutes to watch this video.
Make the change
With locals already clamouring to get their hands on the song, the video also promises to be a success.
The guys have managed to create an astounding online campaign and the Web site is a masterpiece of flash. Because of the nature of the campaign, the creative genius behind it, and its pervasive presence, I believe the campaign will be an incredible success.
With 98% of people owning a phone in SA, and more than half of those able to use SMS short codes and play music, the results could be astounding, even if only a quarter of those with properly equipped phones make the call.
According to online media, Danny K said yesterday at the unveiling of the campaign that evil only prevails when good men do nothing. "I am convinced that the majority of this nation is good people, and the majority of this country want change and want a difference, and want to feel safe in their own homes and in our streets."
I know I do, and my money is being saved for a DVD version of the song.
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