Ghanaian TikTok sensation Kaly Kaly, known for his distinctive rendition of the birthday song, has increased his fee for personalised birthday videos from GH¢900 to GH¢2,000.
The social media star has turned the simple act of singing “Happy Birthday” into a lucrative online business, attracting customers from Ghana and other parts of the world who want him to celebrate their loved ones in his unique style.
Kaly Kaly reportedly receives thousands of requests from people hoping to have their birthdays featured in his videos. According to him, he can wake up to more than 1,000 new messages from people seeking his personalised birthday service.
The demand has reportedly become so overwhelming that he is unable to fulfil every request.
From GH¢900 to GH¢2,000
Kaly Kaly’s decision to increase his fee to GH¢2,000 has sparked debate across social media.
Some social media users have questioned the sharp increase, particularly because his previous fee was reportedly GH¢900.
One X user, identified as ChampgneMami, reacted to the price increase, writing:
“I get that he deserves his due, but Kaly Kaly, you quoted 900cedis for us as at July 7th, today August 3rd you’re quoting 2,000cedis? Lmao well, all the best.”
The comment attracted a response from Ghanaian socialite Efia Odo, who used the situation to draw a comparison with the behaviour of people in positions of power.
She wrote:
“So you see, the people in government didn’t come from another planet. If we can abuse power whenever we get the chance, we shouldn’t be surprised when our leaders do the same.”
Is Kaly Kaly being greedy or simply managing demand?
While some social media users have described the new price as excessive, others believe the increase could be a deliberate strategy to control demand.
With reports of Kaly Kaly receiving more than 1,000 requests daily, fulfilling every order at the previous price would be practically impossible.
Rather than accepting every request, the higher fee could allow him to focus on a smaller number of customers while earning more from each video.
Kaly Kaly has reportedly indicated that his target is to produce about 15 birthday videos per day, although the number of requests he receives often exceeds that target.
At GH¢2,000 per video, completing 15 personalised birthday videos in a day would translate into GH¢30,000 in gross revenue.
Even producing only 10 videos would amount to GH¢20,000 for the day.
A simple idea turned into a booming business
Kaly Kaly’s success demonstrates how creators can turn a simple and highly relatable idea into a profitable digital business.
His formula is straightforward: he sings his signature birthday song, incorporates the customer’s photograph into the video and posts the personalised birthday message on TikTok.
The catchphrase associated with his videos — “Happy Birthday today, today dem born. We go jubilate, celebrate…” — has become instantly recognisable among his followers.
The concept has also benefited from the fact that birthdays happen every day, giving him a potentially endless stream of customers.
Unlike a traditional product with limited demand, the market for personalised birthday greetings constantly renews itself.
Already making thousands from birthday videos
The earning potential of the business has attracted significant attention online.
At the time of one recent observation, Kaly Kaly had already posted six birthday videos for the day. At his new GH¢2,000 rate, six completed orders would represent GH¢12,000 in gross bookings.
And with the day still ongoing, the figure could potentially rise further if more orders are completed.
However, these figures represent potential gross revenue based on the stated fee and number of videos, and should not be interpreted as independently verified net income.
Kaly Kaly may have found a golden niche
What started as a simple TikTok trend appears to have developed into a potentially sustainable creator business.
The combination of a recognisable personal brand, a memorable song, TikTok’s viral nature and the constant demand for birthday celebrations has created a niche that could remain profitable for as long as people continue celebrating birthdays online.
For now, the debate over Kaly Kaly’s GH¢2,000 fee continues.
Some believe he has taken advantage of his popularity, while others argue that a creator who is overwhelmed with demand has every right to increase his price.
Either way, one thing is clear: Kaly Kaly has managed to turn “Happy Birthday” into serious business.
