Sunlight Raised by the Bar | 135 Years of SA Heritage
Durban, 20 August 2026 – For heritage brands, longevity can be one of their greatest assets. But in a culture that is constantly moving, history alone doesn’t guarantee relevance.
For Sunlight Green Bar, marking 135 years in South Africa therefore presented an opportunity to do more than celebrate the past. It raised a more interesting question: how does a brand that has lived in South African homes for generations make that heritage meaningful today?
What Is “Raised by the Bar”?
The answer became Raised by the Bar – a new long-term brand platform that turns Sunlight’s accumulated cultural memory into an invitation for South Africans to tell their own stories.
At its heart is a simple insight: every South African has a Sunlight story.
For some, it’s a grandmother washing school uniforms. For others, it’s the familiar Green Bar beside a kitchen sink, part of a haircare routine or the dependable multi-purpose product an elder still swears by. Over generations, these everyday interactions have created something marketers spend years trying to build: genuine familiarity.
Rather than telling consumers what 135 years of Sunlight should mean, Raised by the Bar asks them what it means to them.
A Word from Sunlight’s Marketing Manager
“Heritage is incredibly powerful, but only when it continues to mean something in people’s lives. Raised by the Bar isn’t simply about looking back at 135 years of Sunlight. Our heritage lives in people’s own memories and experiences. By giving South Africans the space to tell those stories themselves, we’re allowing the meaning of the brand to be shaped by the people who have actually lived with it.”
— Noni Makhanya, Marketing Manager for Sunlight
How the Campaign Comes to Life
The platform comes to life through an integrated ecosystem spanning live experiences, radio partnerships and social storytelling, anchored by a national roadshow that launched in Durban during Women’s Month and will travel through communities across five provinces.
With taxi ranks playing an important role in the journey, Raised by the Bar meets South Africans in spaces where commerce, culture and everyday life naturally intersect, and where communities already connect.
Local traders and performers form part of the storytelling, reflecting the people and personalities that give each community its character, while selected traders will receive practical support and local talent opportunities to perform.
National Roadshow Dates & Locations
- 14 August 2026 – Durban, KwaZulu-Natal
- 28 August 2026 – Mthatha, Eastern Cape
- 4 September 2026 – Johannesburg, Gauteng
- 25 September 2026 – Johannesburg, Gauteng
- 2 October 2026 – Mbombela, Mpumalanga
- 16 October 2026 – Polokwane, Limpopo
Why Storytelling Matters – Every South African Has a Sunlight Story
The platform also draws on one of Sunlight Green Bar’s most distinctive product truths: its versatility. Across generations, the bar has moved from laundry to kitchens and personal-care routines, becoming the dependable “jack of all trades” many South African households grew up with.
That familiarity gives Raised by the Bar a rich well of nostalgia to draw from – not as a destination but as a starting point for participation and new stories.
For one of South Africa’s longest-standing household brands, the ambition is simple: not to trade on 135 years of relevance, but to keep earning it.
About Sunlight Green Bar
Sunlight Green Bar has been an icon in the South African market for 135 years. It is a household essential trusted by millions of South Africans for its multi-purpose and 3x longer-lasting efficacy. It is a mild bar soap suitable for laundry, kitchen and personal use.
How to Get Involved
Sunlight invites all South Africans to be part of the journey. Here’s how you can participate:
- 📱 Share your Sunlight story on social media using #RaisedByTheBar
- 📍 Attend a roadshow near you – check the dates above
- 🗣️ Listen to Sunlight on partner radio stations for more stories and surprises
- 🛍️ Support local traders and performers featured at the activations
ENDS
