From a teenager whose matric dance dreams captured the nation’s heart to a graduate who spent a decade chasing his degree, this week’s good things remind us that South Africa’s greatest treasure has always been its people.
South Africa (26 September 2026) – This Heritage Day came at a particularly difficult time for South Africa. The horrific news surrounding the deaths of women in Ekurhuleni and the ongoing crisis of gender-based violence have left so many of us feeling heartbroken and exhausted. It’s difficult to celebrate everything wonderful about our country when we’re also confronted with so much pain.
But I believe that’s exactly why we need to keep looking for the good.
This week, we asked our Good Things Guy community to leave a message for South Africa. Something that might remind each other why this country is worth believing in. And you gave us all the feels.
There were so many that reminded us that we are stronger together… and that Ubuntu is real! Our greatest heritage isn’t something we wear or something we inherit. It’s something we create through the way we treat each other. We have enormous challenges to overcome and celebrating the good doesn’t mean pretending otherwise. But I refuse to let everything that’s wrong with our country overshadow everything that’s right with its people.
And this week’s stories are a wonderful reminder of why.
Every Friday, we send 15 incredible stories to 100,000 subscribers, sharing a little of the magic we’ve discovered throughout the week. And there’s plenty to choose from! We publish around 110 stories every week, so our newsletter is a carefully selected helping of the “good things” making South Africa a better place. And the Saturday Wrap-Up is a weekly look into that newsletter for everyone who isn’t subscribed yet. It’s like a “good news” Sunday Times… on a Saturday!
Let’s get into it.
A Matric Dance, a Handwritten Sign and a Country That Showed Up
18-year-old Thabang stood at a traffic light in Fourways, wearing his school uniform and holding a handwritten sign asking for donations towards his matric dance. What passing motorists didn’t realise was that this young man lived alone, struggled to afford basic necessities and was still determined to finish school.
Everything changed when Vuyisa Sigonyela filmed him and shared his story on TikTok. More than 3 million people watched the video and South Africans immediately started offering to help. Complete strangers offered a suit, shoes, transport, photography, and even a dress for his date.
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SA's Incredible Volunteer Therapy Dogs Are the Gentlest Heroes!Once Vuyisa discovered the full extent of Thabang’s circumstances, he launched a crowdfunding campaign called “Because of Thabang”. The campaign raised the money needed for his matric dance, then expanded to help with accommodation, food, and other essentials, with plans to support more learners facing similar challenges.
Ten Years, Countless Setbacks and One Incredible Graduation
Imagine spending 10 years trying to complete your university degree, only to have to abandon your studies repeatedly because you couldn’t afford to continue. That’s exactly what Lungelo Ngcobo experienced, but this week, he finally got to celebrate the moment he’d spent a decade working towards.
Lungelo enrolled at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in 2016 but financial difficulties repeatedly interrupted his education. He worked as a general labourer, saved whatever he could and returned to university whenever he had enough money. At one point, he was forced to leave with just ONE module remaining.
This year, he finally completed his Bachelor of Laws degree, celebrating his graduation alongside his mother and sisters, who supported him throughout his journey.
Read his full story here.
A Running Community Comes Together for Tsontso’s Family
The tragic death of Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo has deeply affected South Africans, particularly the running community she was such an important part of. Tsontso was a dedicated Team Vitality member who regularly participated in running events and had recently completed the Wanderers 21 km. While nothing can undo what happened, her running community has found a way to honour her memory and support the family she leaves behind.
Team Vitality has contributed towards her funeral arrangements and launched a dedicated Discovery Miles donation campaign, giving thousands of runners and Vitality members an opportunity to help. More than R100,000 had already been donated through the initiative when we shared the story and her family has also established a BackaBuddy campaign to support her daughter’s education.
Read about the campaign and how you can help here.
Our SPAR Hero of the Week: Nisha’s Birthday Gift That Changed Lives
What would you do to celebrate your 35th birthday? For Nisha Varghese, the answer was to raise R35,000 for a charity that has occupied a special place in her heart since she started volunteering there in 2018.
But her friends, family and supporters had other ideas. 60 generous people came together and raised an extraordinary R102,581.70 for Breath of Life, an organisation caring for vulnerable babies and children.
Meet our SPAR Hero of the Week here.
Our Children’s Storybook: The Gardener Who Grew His Dreams
This week’s children’s storybook feature introduces young readers to Lucky Maebela.
Lucky grew up in Limpopo, faced significant challenges and suffered an accident that left him with facial scars. But he refused to allow those experiences to determine his future. At 23, he returned to school, eventually earned a place at university and took a job as a campus gardener to support himself while studying. Today, his dreams are bigger than ever. He’s continuing his education and has established a foundation to help other young people access opportunities and believe in their own potential.
It’s a beautiful story to share with your children. Its message extends beyond education. Every person we encounter has a story we might know absolutely nothing about and everybody deserves to be treated with kindness and respect.
Our OnePlan Pawsitive Story: A New Home for Lanseria’s Feral Kitties!
And because no Good Things Guy round-up would be complete without a little animal magic, this week’s OnePlan Pawsitive Story comes courtesy of some very lucky kitties in Lanseria.
When Lanseria Ferals lost the feeding and watering stations used to care for one of its feral cat colonies, the organisation reached out to its community for assistance. Animal lover Sharon Margon answered the call, sponsoring an entirely new feeder and sleeper for the cats. The new structure provides a protected space where the animals can eat, drink and rest, while making it easier for volunteers to monitor their health and continue their sterilisation programme. Other supporters have also stepped forward to cover food and veterinary expenses.
Read our OnePlan Pawsitive Story here.
If you’ve enjoyed these stories, consider signing up for our Friday newsletter. We’d love you to join our Good Things Guy family. And if there’s one thing I hope you take away from this week’s wrap-up, it’s that you don’t have to wait for good news to happen… you can be the person who creates it.
Have a beautiful weekend, South Africa. Keep looking out for each other.
The best of us… has always been us.
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