South Africa, you’ve done it again! From a petrol attendant returning a lost wallet to strangers raising over R433,000 for a brave dad, this week’s good news is packed with reasons to smile.
If you only have a minute, read this: We’ve officially launched the Good Things Ranger, a vehicle dedicated to helping 24 charities and community initiatives across South Africa! Plus, two honest petrol attendants reunited a woman with her lost wallet, strangers raised over R433,000 for a brave dad, and a man living under a bridge for two years was given a second chance. Four young heroes are training to become lifeguards, a rescue dog named Basson is searching for his forever home and a teenager swam 7.5 kilometres to honour her mom. We’re also celebrating an entrepreneur turning plastic waste into opportunity and a South African athlete who conquered 600 monkey bars beneath Bloukrans Bridge! So much good, so many incredible South Africans!
South Africa (31 October 2026) – I have spent more than a decade telling stories about South Africans doing the most incredible things. And for all those years, I have believed that good news should inspire more good news. Well, this week, we took that belief to a whole new level. Good Things Guy has officially partnered with Ford South Africa to launch the Good Things Ranger! Yes, an actual Ford Ranger. A beautiful, locally built, specially branded vehicle that is going to travel across South Africa doing good things. And I am so flipping excited about what this means.
The idea is simple but the potential is enormous.
We already tell the stories. We already connect people who need help with people who want to help. But what if we could physically get involved? What if we could give organisations the transport they desperately need to reach communities, deliver supplies, move equipment or just do their jobs a little better? Ford loved the idea. We loved the idea. And after months of planning, meetings and preparation, the Good Things Ranger was officially handed over to us at Ford’s Silverton Assembly Plant in Pretoria. I still can’t believe it.
Over the course of this initiative, we’ll be working with 24 non-profit organisations and community initiatives, giving them access to the Ranger to help them do what they do best. And, of course, we’ll be documenting the journey, sharing their stories and celebrating the incredible people behind the work.
We’ve already lined up our first three missions! We’re starting at a school near Ford’s headquarters, before handing the Ranger over to the Winnie Mabaso Foundation for an exciting Christmas adventure. Adventurer Jason Vanporppal will be travelling across South Africa, delivering Christmas presents to children in communities that supported him during his incredible skateboard journey from Uganda to Cape Town. For the foundation, it will be the first time in 22 years that its Christmas outreach has extended beyond Gauteng. And then, in December, the Good Things Ranger will be heading to the coast to support the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI), helping its lifeguarding teams transport equipment and prepare for the busy holiday season.
And this is just the beginning. The journey will continue into 2027. Ford South Africa is even planning a special Good Things Guy book to celebrate the people, places and partnerships that make it all possible.
I keep thinking about how Good Things Guy started. One random act of kindness in 2014 that somehow turned into a movement, a news platform, a community and a career I could never have imagined. And now, all these years later, we’re getting behind the wheel of a vehicle that will allow us to take that kindness directly to the people who need it. It feels like such a natural next chapter.
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Durban’s Knitting Grandmas Wrap Vulnerable Children in Comfort and Teddy CuddlesI am enormously grateful to the team at Ford for believing in this idea and for understanding that the most powerful partnerships are the ones that actually make a difference. You can follow the journey on a newly created Instagram Page, as well as here, on Good Things Guy.
I cannot wait to introduce you to the organisations we’ll be supporting along the way. We’re going places, South Africa. And we’re taking the good with us!
Now, speaking of good things, there has been plenty happening across the country this week, too.
Your Weekly Dose of Good News!
For 11 years, our Good Things Guy newsletter has been sent every Friday and today more than 100,000 South Africans receive their weekly dose of happiness from us. We publish around 110 stories every week, and our newsletter brings together 16 of our favourites. Think of this Saturday wrap-up as a little taste of what’s waiting in that newsletter!
If you’re not subscribed yet, we’d love to have you join our good news family. It’s free, it’s filled with stories worth celebrating and it’s a lovely way to end your week.
Here are just a few of the incredible stories we shared this week.
A Randburg Petrol Attendant’s Kindness Saves a Woman a Whole Lot of Stress!
Losing your wallet is an experience that can ruin your entire day. Your bank cards, your important documents, your driver’s licence… all gone. And the thought of replacing everything is enough to give anyone a headache.
That’s exactly what happened to Shylet Buwerimwe, who had searched everywhere for her missing wallet before reluctantly accepting that it might be gone for good. But then, she received a message on Facebook from a man she had never met. His name was Phumulani Zukuzela, and he worked at Engen Westbridge Garage in Strydom Park, Randburg. His colleague, Nelson, had found Shylet’s wallet and handed it over to him. Instead of just leaving it in the office and hoping someone would come looking, Phumulani took the time to track Shylet down online and let her know it was safe.
Read the full story about Phumulani, Nelson and Shylet here.
South Africans Raise Over R433,000 for Brave Dad After Terrifying Hijacking
A trip to buy bread and milk should never turn into a fight for your life. But for KwaZulu-Natal father Sidney Hill, that is exactly what happened earlier this month when armed men attempted to hijack his vehicle while two of his children were with him. Sidney, a single father of four and professional bodyguard, was shot in the arm and knee during the terrifying encounter.
Thankfully, his children escaped physical injury, although the emotional impact of what they witnessed has been significant. Dashcam footage of the incident quickly spread across social media, with many people calling Sidney “South Africa’s John Wick”. But behind the viral footage was a dad who just wanted to protect his children. And when South Africans learnt what had happened, they did what South Africans do best. They showed up.
A BackaBuddy campaign was launched to help Sidney and his family with legal expenses and trauma counselling, and within days, more than 1,000 people had contributed over R433,000. Complete strangers opened their hearts and wallets to help a family they had never met. The incident itself was frightening but the response has been really incredible. And it is another beautiful reminder that when one of us needs help, there are so many people willing to step forward.
A Man Living Under a Bridge for Two Years Gets a Second Chance
For two years, Andre lived beneath the Malungu River Bridge near Hibberdene in KwaZulu-Natal.
He had lost his belongings, including his identity document, after being robbed and suffering a serious hip injury. With nowhere to go after leaving hospital, he found himself living on the streets. Then someone noticed him. Nat Inqaqa alerted The Elders Voice KZN, a non-profit organisation that helps vulnerable older people, and the team went to investigate. They found Andre sitting beneath the bridge, listened to his story and decided that something needed to be done. They brought him to one of their facilities, where he could finally enjoy a proper bath, clean clothes, a decent meal and a safe place to stay.
Andre has so much life left to live. He speaks four languages, has a wonderful sense of humour and is a qualified spray painter who desperately wants to work again. The organisation is helping him replace his ID and is now looking for someone willing to give him an employment opportunity.
Read Andre’s story and find out how you can help him find work.
SPAR Hero of the Week: Four Young South Africans Training to Save Lives!
Every week, together with SPAR, we celebrate the ordinary South Africans doing really “good things” in their communities. And this week’s heroes are four young people who are putting in the hard work to become lifesavers.
Ameer Abrahams, Ryan Hendricks, Lauren Kelly and Danielle Kriel are part of an incredible partnership between the NSRI and SCOUTS South Africa that is helping young people become water-safety leaders. The programme began with 196 participants learning essential water-safety skills. Twenty-five went on to become certified drowning-prevention educators, while these four young leaders took things a step further by beginning their journey towards becoming qualified lifeguards.
And their progress has been remarkable! During an intensive five-day training programme, all four completed important rescue assessments, including CPR, spinal management and patient recovery. Their swimming ability has also improved dramatically, with participants progressing from struggling to complete a single 25-metre pool length to swimming 16 lengths. They still have more training ahead before they can qualify, but what they’ve already achieved is worth celebrating. These young South Africans are learning skills that could one day save lives, while becoming role models for others in their communities.
Our BuddyMeal Pawsitive Story: Basson Is Ready for His Forever Home!
Oh, Basson. What a beautiful boy! This week’s BuddyMeal Pawsitive Story is all about a rescue dog who has been given the time, patience and love he needed to learn to trust people again. And now, after an incredible journey at Vaalpets Rescue Centre, Basson is finally ready to find a family of his own.
The big, playful boy hasn’t always had an easy life. When he arrived at the rescue centre, he was frightened and unsure of people. But the dedicated team at Vaalpets worked with him, helping him feel safe and showing him that humans can be kind.
Meet Basson and find out how you can help him find his forever family.
Good Things for Kids: A Brave Swim Inspired by a Mother’s Courage
Our Good Things Guy 4 Kids section takes some of our favourite good news stories and turns them into inspiring reads for younger South Africans. And this week’s story is a particularly beautiful one.
Grade 10 learner Kami Engelbrecht decided to take on an extraordinary challenge after watching her mother, Shan, go through cancer treatment. Inspired by her mom’s courage, Kami set herself a goal that would push her physically and mentally: swimming 7.5 kilometres from Robben Island to Bloubergstrand. That’s a seriously challenging stretch of ocean, even for experienced swimmers!
The cold Atlantic water, strong currents and jellyfish made the journey anything but easy. But Kami kept going, thinking about her mother with every stroke and drawing strength from the love that had inspired her challenge in the first place. After three hours and 23 minutes, she reached the shore.
It’s a beautiful story about family, courage and the incredible things we can achieve when we’re motivated by love.
Meet Hudson, the Man Turning Plastic Waste Into Opportunity!
What happens to those little wipes we use to clean shopping trolley handles? You probably haven’t given them much thought. But this week’s “Partner Story” reveals how something most of us throw away can become the beginning of a pretty incredible South African success story.
Meet Hudson Diphofa, a talented entrepreneur from Katlehong who is transforming recycled plastic into beautiful, practical furniture. His business, Structural Poly Plastics & Projects, creates everything from garden benches and picnic tables to pool loungers, animal feeders and playground equipment.
Hudson started building his business after being retrenched during the pandemic. When the team at Sani-touch discovered his work, they recognised his potential and stepped in to help him grow. They provided equipment, business support and guidance, helping him turn his skills into a sustainable enterprise. Today, Hudson’s work is creating opportunities beyond his own business. He brings in friends and family when he needs extra hands, and his recycled plastic creations are finding their way into homes, schools and communities. But there is one thing Hudson still desperately needs. Customers.
Read Hudson’s story and discover how you can support his business.
Champion of the Week: 600 Monkey Bars, 216 Metres Above the Ground!
South Africans are doing some absolutely CRAZY things in the sporting world. This week’s Champion of the Week is obstacle course racing star Thomas van Tonder, who has just completed a challenge that sounds almost impossible.
Thomas became the first person to cross beneath the iconic Bloukrans Bridge using a specially constructed course of 600 suspended monkey bars. The course stretched 280 metres along the arch of the bridge, which towers 216 metres above the Bloukrans River. Yes, you read that correctly. Six hundred monkey bars. Hundreds of metres above the ground. Using his hands to get from one side to the other. And he completed the entire course in just 47 minutes and 37 seconds!
Read about Thomas van Tonder’s incredible world-first achievement beneath Bloukrans Bridge (and watch the video by clicking the link).
Every single week, we discover people who are making a difference. People who remind us that our country is so much more than the headlines that make us angry, frustrated or afraid. There is so much good happening here. And the more we share it, the more opportunities we create for that good to grow. If you’ve enjoyed these stories, please consider subscribing to our free weekly newsletter.
And if there’s one thing I hope you take away from this week’s wrap-up, it’s this: You don’t need to do something really BIG to make a difference. You just need to do something. A message to return a wallet. A donation to help a stranger. A conversation with someone who needs support. An opportunity for a small business. Or just sharing a story that deserves to be seen. It all matters.
Have a beautiful weekend, South Africa. Keep looking for the good, keep sharing the good, and most importantly, keep being the good.
Only Good Things!
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