Prize-winners describe their excitement as “Shake and Win” ends

December 23rd, 2022

The dramatic end to the World Cup has brought Opera’s “Shake and Win” campaign to a close, but for winners across the continent both will live long in the memory.

The “Shake and Win” campaign by Opera Mini celebrated football’s greatest spectacle by allowing users in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa to simply shake their phones for a daily chance at winning up to $300,000 worth of prizes. Such was the hype that Opera Mini shot to the top of the Google Play Store in both Nigeria and Kenya, as users sought to claim airtime from popular providers, cash prizes, and brand-new phones.

Hundreds of thousands of prizes were distributed throughout the month, and winners expressed their joy upon concluding the winning shake. Abdulmuiz Abdullahi was at home in Nigeria when he won, and he immediately “woke my Mom from sleep because of the joy.” Similarly, his countryman Inyene Joseph Gabriel said: “I can’t express how I felt…I was so excited.” But Caroline Wanjiku, a Kenyan university student, summed it up well, saying that “I was coming home from school, and I was extremely excited and couldn’t believe my eyes. Words alone can’t explain it, as it was one of the best moments in my life.”

After the elation of victory, winners then considered what they would do with their cash prizes and smartphones. Dorothy Amedume, a teacher and mother of two from Ghana, said that she’d give the new smartphone to her husband – who at first did not believe that she had won – as he previously did not have one. Abdulmuiz expressed a similarly giving spirit when he said that he’d use the cash prize to “pay for my rent and school fees, and even help my brothers and sisters with some.”

Winners were universally happy with Opera Mini, with many having used it for a long time. Smartphone-winner Mercy Chepkemoi of Kenya said that she’s “excited about the ease with which it loads websites and saves my data too.” Everyone was in agreement that Opera Mini is fast, efficient, and offers you users a chance to win; said Mutiga Mworia of Kenya: “I can indeed confirm that Opera Mini is not only the best browser, but something that has many opportunities.”

If there was broad agreement about the benefits of Opera Mini, winners were more split on who they wanted to see win the World Cup. Most were drawn to one of the two superstars who lit up the match – France’s Kylian Mbappé and Argentina’s Lionel Messi. Caroline was in the former camp, saying “Mbappé has been unstoppable so far and I believe he can make France win.” And after his hat-trick performance she was so nearly right, but her countryman Martin Nyamai got his wish: “Messi is my G.O.A.T. and I want him to complete the World Cup dream before he hangs up his boots.”

One final thing that all winners agreed on: The shaking had all been worth it. Said Ian Muthama of Kenya, “I believe that every shake brings you nearer to a win.”