If you’ve passed by a bus stop anywhere from the Deep South through to the Southern Suburbs lately, you may have noticed something that made your day a little brighter!
Cape Town, South Africa (07 January 2027) – In place of the usual advertising we’re bombarded with along roads and buildings across South Africa, a handful of bus stops in Cape Town are now filled with simple messages of kindness instead.
‘Bloom where you are planted.’
‘The world is brighter with you in it.’
‘You are brave. You are strong. You are incredible.’
‘When you can’t find the sunshine, be the sunshine.’
There’s no branding attached to the messages, and no call to buy anything. And it’s entirely intentional.
For the next few months, a Cape Town-based business has paid for the advertising space at seven bus stops across the Southern Suburbs and South Peninsula. Not to promote itself, but to give those spaces over to messages of care and encouragement instead.
“With all the doom and gloom around at the moment, we felt it was a good opportunity to do something uplifting,” explains Kevin, who came up with the idea alongside his marketing manager, Melissa. “Especially at this time of year when many people are having a tough time.”
The bus stop space is rented with a monthly rental and artwork cost involved. The decision to remove all branding was deliberate.
“It’s not about promoting our business,” Kevin says. “That’s why the bus stops aren’t branded. It’s really just about caring and wanting to make a small, positive difference.”
The messages began replacing branded adverts in early December and will remain in place until mid-March. Kevin says the response so far has been encouraging enough that the team plans to repeat the kindness campaign every festive season.
“The intention is to remind people that they matter, that they are valued, loved and seen,” he adds. “We wanted to spread positivity, love and care in our communities during a time when there is often so much negativity.”
Melissa came up with the messaging, which aims to brighten the day of anyone who passes by. Mission accomplished.
“She is deeply connected to the community and genuinely cares about people. We are incredibly blessed to have her on our team.”
In a city where public spaces are usually reserved for selling something, the decision to use them simply to say ‘you matter’ is one we can get behind. Meaningful words placed where people are already standing still for a moment.
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