On 20 November 2018, Safaricom’s Songa by Safaricom platform handed out its first Songa Na Mili prize, with Damaris Akinyi receiving Sh76,000 after correctly identifying the sound from Gilad’s song “Sema Milele.”
The win came after the competition had been running for about two weeks. According to the source account, Damaris said she first learned about the promotion while listening to a breakfast show on radio during a matatu ride to work.
She said the money arrived at a time when her family needed help with school fees. In her words, she planned to use part of the winnings to assist her mother with her younger sister’s fees while she is still in campus.
Damaris also said she uses the Songa by Safaricom app regularly because she enjoys music and the daily playlists that help set the tone for her day. That familiarity with the app, the article said, helped her take part in the competition.
She added that some of the money would go toward the 30 Billion Concert, which was to be headlined by Nigerian star Davido and supported by Songa by Safaricom, KCARL Entertainment, KISS FM and Classic 105.
Brian Chege, identified as Songa by Safaricom’s head of content and A&R, said the promotion was designed to encourage users to join the app and discover different music genres. He also confirmed that the giveaway would continue until the campaign reaches its Sh1 million target.
