From a South African mom impressing Gordon Ramsay to a community creating a dream wedding, this week’s good news is overflowing with reasons to smile. And after the week we’ve had, we could all use a little extra happiness!
If you only have a minute, read this: Eleven years, hundreds of newsletters, thousands of good news stories and one rather embarrassing little mistake. This week, Good Things Guy got something wrong, and the response reminded us why we love this community so much. Add a South African making Gordon Ramsay proud, a wedding made possible by strangers, an international photography award and a whole lot of everyday heroes, and we’ve got another Saturday filled with reasons to smile.
South Africa (24 October 2026) – I have a little confession to make. Yesterday, we made an oopsie. And not just a little typo or a misplaced comma. We sent out our weekly Good Things Guy newsletter with the correct headline and the correct photograph for one of our stories… but the completely wrong description underneath it. Oops. In the 11 years we’ve been sending out our newsletter, I can’t remember the last time we made a mistake like this.
The funny thing is that our newsletter goes through THREE people before it hits your inbox. Our designer puts it together, our editor checks it, and then me, as Editor-in-Chief, give it the final once-over. Three sets of eyes. Three people who should have spotted it. And… all three of us missed it. I’m blaming the early morning, a serious lack of coffee and maybe a little bit of that end-of-year exhaustion that seems to be creeping into every corner of South Africa right now.
You see, after 11 years of running Good Things Guy, I’ve noticed a rather interesting pattern. Every single year, somewhere between October and the middle of November, things seem to get a little tougher. Our readership dips slightly, engagement changes, people seem… a little shorter with their kindness and the comments on social media become noticeably more negative. Even on the GOOD news! We can share a story about someone doing something beautiful for a complete stranger and someone in the comments will find something to be angry about.
I have a theory. I think we’re all just tired. Or moeg. Gatvol. We’ve spent ten months working, worrying, paying bills, dealing with life’s challenges and trying to keep all the balls in the air. And by October, I think most of us are running on fumes, dreaming about Dezemba, a little time off, a braai with friends, a swim in the pool and the chance to wake up without an alarm. We’re all just trying to make it to the finish line.
When we realised our mistake yesterday, we decided to have a little fun with it. We posted about our newsletter mishap on social media and admitted that we’d messed up. But in a “funny” way. And honestly, really, it wasn’t that serious. Nobody was hurt. The world didn’t end. We just put the wrong words under the right photograph.
But something really lekker happened.
Instead of the usual October grumpiness, we were met with an avalanche of kindness. People laughed with us. They sent messages, left comments and even emailed to tell us not to worry. Some pointed out that major publications make mistakes every day, while others reminded us that even books go to print with errors that nobody notices until they’re sitting on shelves. So many people said that mistakes happen and that being human is part of what makes Good Things Guy special.
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Photo of Pupils Supporting a Friend on Crutches Warms Hearts EverywhereAnd I loved that. Because that’s exactly what we are. Human. Yes, Good Things Guy is a publication. Yes, we have deadlines, editorial processes, journalists, an editor and a responsibility to get things right. But behind every headline, every photograph, every newsletter and every story you read, there are actual human beings doing their best. People who care deeply about the work they do, who sometimes get tired, who occasionally make mistakes and who just want to make your day a little better.
Yesterday reminded me of something really important. For all the negativity we sometimes see online, there is still an extraordinary amount of kindness out there. And when you give people the opportunity to show it, they really do.
So thank you. For the laughs, the lovely messages, the understanding and for reminding three slightly embarrassed Good Things Guy humans that the internet can be a really lovely place.
Maybe we’re not all as gatvol as we think. Or maybe we are but we’ve still got enough kindness left in the tank to help each other get to Dezemba.
And I think that’s pretty special.
Your Weekly Dose of Good News!
Speaking of our newsletter, more than 100,000 people receive their weekly helping of happiness from us every Friday. We publish around 110 stories every week, and our newsletter brings together 15 of our favourites, making it a lovely way to catch up on the good you might have missed. If you’re not subscribed yet, we’d love to have you join our little corner of happiness. And if you are, thank you for being part of this journey, even when we occasionally put the wrong words in the wrong places!
Now, let’s get into some of the stories that made us smile this week.
A South African Mom Wowed Gordon Ramsay and Made It to the MasterChef Final!
Imagine standing in front of Gordon Ramsay, one of the world’s most famous chefs, and presenting him with a dessert inspired by South Africa. Now imagine him asking what South Africans do with marula, and your answer being that we get drunk on it. HA! We love her already!
That’s exactly what made Durban-born Heidi such a standout on MasterChef Global Gauntlet, where she created an extraordinary marula liqueur mousse with brownie crumble, raspberry coulis and pistachio dust, all beautifully presented in the colours of the South African flag. She called it a celebration of South Africa on a plate and the judges loved it.
But Heidi’s story goes far beyond that delicious dessert. We reached out to Heidi to find out more about her incredible journey (in an exclusive), and what she shared with us was every bit as wonderful as her cooking.
You can read the full article here.
An Entire Community Came Together to Give a Couple Their Dream Wedding!
Not too long ago, Jestelene Van Rooi and Mzwamadoda ‘Blacks’ Mpengezi were living on the streets, doing their best to get through each day. Today, they’re rebuilding their lives through a skills development programme in Camps Bay, and recently, they got to celebrate something incredibly special. Their wedding day!
When the couple decided to get married, their community stepped up. Local businesses, the police, community organisations, a church and generous residents all contributed to making their dream a reality. There was a wedding dress, a handsome suit, flowers, a cake, a celebratory lunch, bridal pampering and even an original song written especially for the newlyweds. A police officer had the honour of walking Jestelene down the aisle.
You can watch the video here. But get the tissues ready!
South African Photographer Wins One of the World’s Biggest Wildlife Photography Awards!
South Africa has some of the most extraordinary wildlife photographers on the planet and this week another one gave us a reason to celebrate.
Isak Pretorius has won the Behaviour: Birds category at the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, hosted by London’s Natural History Museum. His winning photograph, titled Scenes from the Swamp, captures two elusive shoebills in Uganda’s Mabamba Swamp, and it was selected from a competition that attracted a record-breaking 65,403 entries from 121 countries and territories.
This is actually Isak’s SECOND win in the same category, having previously made history as the first South African to win it in 2013. His latest achievement puts South African photographic talent firmly in the international spotlight once again.
Our SPAR Hero of the Week: A Birthday Gift That Changed Three Dogs’ Lives!
Every week, together with SPAR, we celebrate an ordinary South African doing something extraordinary for others. And this week’s hero decided that the best way to celebrate her birthday was to give the presents to someone else. Well, technically, some doggos.
Kutlwano ‘Kay’ Modiba, the wonderful human behind Kay’s Paw Salon, packed up her grooming equipment, balloons and bow ties and headed to the Soweto Animal Rescue and Advisory Centre to spoil some very deserving shelter dogs. She groomed more than ten rescues, giving them a fresh look, some love and a little extra attention.
By the end of the day, THREE of those freshly groomed dogs had been adopted!!!!
Meet Kay and see how her birthday surprise helped three rescue dogs find homes!
Our BuddyMeal Pawsitive Story: K9 Mufasa Sniffs Out a Massive Abalone Bust!
Our weekly Pawsitive Story, brought to you with BuddyMeal, celebrates the animals and people making South Africa a better place. And this week, we’ve got a four-legged crime fighter who deserves a very big round of applause. And perhaps a treat or two.
Meet Mufasa, a specially trained K9 officer working with Mossel Bay Municipality. During an overnight anti-poaching operation along the coast, Mufasa helped authorities uncover a staggering 121.1 kilograms of illegally harvested abalone, with an estimated street value of R161,000. The operation also resulted in two suspects being taken into custody.
Mufasa is the first member of Mossel Bay Municipality’s K9 team, and his remarkable nose is helping protect our country’s precious marine resources. It’s another reminder of just how valuable South Africa’s working dogs are, whether they’re helping police, finding missing people or protecting endangered wildlife.
Good boy, Mufasa. VERY good boy!
Our 4 Kids Story: The Petrol Attendant Who Saved the School Run!
One of my favourite additions to Good Things Guy is our 4 Kids section, where we take real good news stories and turn them into something our younger readers can enjoy, understand and learn from.
This week’s story introduces children to Clement Nciki, a petrol attendant who went far beyond the call of duty when a mother named Laine found herself stranded with a broken-down car while trying to fetch her children from school.
When Clement realised how worried she was, he did something extraordinary. He offered her his own car so she could collect her children! And while she drove off in his vehicle, he simply went back to work. He later helped arrange assistance for her broken car, too.
It’s a beautiful story about trust, compassion and the fact that you don’t need a superhero cape to make someone’s day. And it’s exactly the kind of lesson we love sharing with the next generation.
Read Clement’s wonderful story with the little ones in your life!
Our Partner Story: Two South Africans Are Changing Their Health Stories!
This week’s partner feature with Discovery Vitality introduces us to two friends of Good Things Guy, Natasha Huckfield and Andrew Ross, whose health journeys have taken them to places they never expected.
Natasha, who once couldn’t imagine herself enjoying running, has discovered a completely new passion for fitness and is now preparing for challenges that would have seemed impossible just a few years ago. Andrew, meanwhile, has experienced significant improvements in his blood sugar levels, lost 20 kilograms and found a renewed sense of energy and confidence.
Both have used GLP-1 medication under medical guidance, but what makes their stories so interesting is how much their lives have changed beyond the numbers on a scale. Their experiences also connect to Discovery Vitality’s expanded HealthyWeight programme, which combines professional medical guidance with nutrition, exercise and ongoing support to help South Africans make sustainable changes to their health.
It’s a really interesting conversation about health, habits and the importance of doing things properly.
Read Natasha and Andrew’s inspiring health journeys here!
Our New Champion of the Week: South Africa’s Para-Athletes Are Raising the Bar!
We’ve also added something new to our newsletter! Our Champion of the Week celebrates the incredible sporting talent we have across South Africa, because there are so many athletes doing remarkable things who deserve a little more recognition.
And what a week to introduce it!
At the Western Cape Para-Sport Trials in Stellenbosch, athletes delivered an impressive collection of performances, with three potential South African records awaiting official ratification. Across the event, 44 athletes achieved a combined 75 South African qualification standards, while established Paralympic stars including Simone Kruger, Mpumelelo Mhlongo and Kerwin Noemdo showed exactly why they’re among the country’s best.
Beyond the medals and records, what stood out was the progress being made. Of the 52 athletes who competed in the same events and age groups last year, 30 improved on their previous performances.
There is so much sporting talent in this country, and we cannot wait to celebrate more of it every week.
Read about the records, personal bests and para-sport stars making South Africa proud!
And That’s Your Saturday Helping of Happiness!
I know we’re tired, South Africa. I know it’s October, and that the year has been long. I know many of us are counting down the days until we can switch off our laptops, put our feet up and enjoy a little Dezemba magic. But I also know this. We haven’t run out of kindness. We haven’t run out of good people. And we certainly haven’t run out of good news.
If anything, this week has reminded me that even when we’re exhausted, even when we make mistakes, and even when life feels a little overwhelming, we still have an extraordinary ability to show up for each other.
And that, my friends, is something worth carrying into the final weeks of the year.
Have a beautiful Saturday. Be kind to yourself, be kind to the people around you, and remember that you don’t have to get everything right to make a positive difference.
With love, from all of us at Good Things Guy.
by 
