Need a reason to feel optimistic about our beautiful South Africa again? The Hope Dealers is the series you’ve been waiting for!
Johannesburg, South Africa (03 August 2026) – There’s a phrase coined by local veteran journalist Mandy Wiener that we’ve always loved. ‘The hope dealers.’
They are the people doing the work. The ones fixing, building, exposing corruption, serving their communities, showing up when nobody asks them to, and reminding the rest of us that there is still so much good happening in South Africa.
Now, Mandy is putting those people where they belong…in the spotlight! Her brand-new interview series, The Hope Dealers, is dedicated to the South Africans working to make the country better, often without much recognition for the good things they do.
“Every day in South Africa, there are people who are working to make the country thrive,” Mandy says.
“These are individuals who I refer to as ‘The Hope Dealers’. These are good civil servants, active citizens, whistleblowers, investigative journalists, members of the judiciary, patriots.”
As journalists, we often report on what’s gone wrong. It comes with the territory. Mandy believes – just as we do – that there should be room for both the difficult stories and the people making a difference.
“Journalists have an inherent negativity bias and we tend to focus on those stories that have a negative slant,” she explains. “I believe there should be ‘light and shade’ in the media and we have a responsibility to inform audiences about those who are doing positive work too.”
Her take on the old newsroom saying is one we LOVE!
“The saying is ‘If it bleeds, it leads’ but I argue that ‘If it’s good, it should’.”
Saturday Wrap Up: Finding the Good During a Difficult Week
Herman High Learners Help Turn Hermanus Pink for Pauline!The first season of The Hope Dealers focuses on ten extraordinary change-makers who have dedicated themselves to breathing new life into Johannesburg’s inner city.
These are people who didn’t wait for someone else to step in; they became the change they wanted to see. They invested their own time, energy and passion into revitalising the city they believe is worth fighting for.
Mandy’s career was built on uncovering important stories. The award-winning investigative journalist, author and host of The Midday Report on 702 and CapeTalk has spent decades holding power to account. Now she’s also turning her attention to those helping move South Africa forward.
The series will launch with a Johannesburg focus before expanding nationally, introducing audiences to more of the good people changing the narrative across the country.
New episodes of The Hope Dealers will drop every week, starting tomorrow!
The series will be available on Primedia+, EWN and across Primedia and Mandy’s social media platforms. The audio interviews will also be released as podcasts and broadcast on The Midday Report.
South Africa does have its challenges, but it also has so many incredible people rolling up their sleeves every single day to make things better. Those stories deserve to be told, too!
by 
