South Africans have an unshakable way of showing up for each other – sometimes in the smallest, most unexpected moments. A simple act of kindness in a grocery store queue has gone viral, reaching almost a million people and proving once again that our shared humanity runs deeper than our differences.
Johannesburg, South Africa (02 March 2025) – There’s something about South Africans that just makes my heart smile. A simple act of kindness can turn an ordinary moment into something unforgettable, something that reminds us of the deep connection we share, no matter our backgrounds.
I know… it’s a bit strange to be writing a Good Things Guy article about my own post, but it’s gone viral, and people keep tagging us to share it. I guess that means it’s giving everyone “all the feels” – and that’s exactly what we love to do here at Good Things Guy.
So here’s the post from yesterday that’s now been seen by almost a million people across Facebook, X (Twitter), and LinkedIn:
“I absolutely love South Africans.
I was just standing in a queue, waiting to pay for my groceries when the guy in front of me turned around and asked if I have a loyalty card (the shop doesn’t matter, this is not a sponsored post), hoping to save a little cash.
I’d left my phone in the car, so I was like, “Ah man, sorry, I don’t.”
Before I could even blink, the woman behind me jumped in and offered hers.
Not just to him but to me as well!
She smiled and said something along the lines of, “If we all share, we all save.”
Flip man.
We were all different. Different backgrounds, different walks of life but none of that mattered. Because at our core, we are South African… and we show up for each other in the kindest, most beautiful ways.
Just a simple, silly, Saturday story but it did make my heart smile. ❤️🇿🇦”
At a time when headlines and social media might make us believe that we are a divided nation, a “simple” post like this resonates because, at our core, we are united. We are South Africans and we show up for each other.
But actually, stories like this… good news… really does matter!
Psychologists and neuroscientists have spent years studying the effects of positive news on the human brain. We’re naturally wired with a negativity bias, meaning that our brains are more likely to notice, dwell on and be affected by negative information. This was an evolutionary advantage. Our ancestors who focused on potential threats were more likely to survive but constant exposure to bad news can rewire our brains to expect negativity. It can make us feel like the world is falling apart, even when there’s so much good happening around us.
That’s why stories like this matter. Research shows that consuming positive news can:
- Reduce stress and anxiety
- Improve mood and overall well-being
- Strengthen our sense of connection to others
- Increase hope and optimism about the future
In fact, studies have found that people who engage with uplifting content feel more motivated to do good in their own communities. Good news is contagious. Just like kindness. And the comments on the post prove that this small moment in a grocery queue hit home for so many people:
“If we all share, we all save – that should be on a billboard”
“This is such a wholesome post that I needed on my TL today… Thank you for sharing 🇿🇦”
“Social media doesn’t necessarily reflect what’s happening in real time. South Africa is a melting pot for all races, that’s why we are called a rainbow nation. The only thing that tends to divide us is politics, and we ought to resist this and dispel it because it’s toxic.”
“Today we were putting in petrol, and this lovely guy in the next car strikes up a convo with me . While we are laughing, he says ‘ man, I love south africa, it’s the best country ‘ , and I could not agree more ❤️🇿🇦”
“South Africans are beautiful people, especially if we interact physically. I have too many stories about loyalty cards and queues (especially at bottle stores), which is where most of our interactions are most beautiful 😅”
“Please never stop sharing these stories. I love my country and my people, and the ubuntu that we all share. People are too quick to equate social media to real life. There are thousands of these small beautiful stories that happen every day. I see them, I experience them 🇿🇦🇿🇦”
It’s moments like these that remind us: we are the good news.
But the post also raised an important conversation around algorithms. One commentator on social media asked why I’ve been so quiet on X (Twitter) lately. They hadn’t seen my posts in a while.
I haven’t stopped sharing good news. I haven’t lost hope. I haven’t given up. I post prolifically.
They just weren’t seeing my content.
The truth is that social media algorithms are ridiculously clever. They don’t just show you random stuff. They feed you more of what they think you want to see. Every time you pause on a post, hit like, leave a comment, or even just hover a little longer, the algorithm takes note and starts feeding you more of that content. So, if you want to see more good news (or just a bit of balance to the news), then check in with us. Engage with our content. Slow your scroll when you see something lekker and you’ll start to see more of it.
At the end of the day, South Africa is filled with incredible people and stories like this prove that kindness is still our default setting. We are a country of warmth, connection and ubuntu. Let’s keep sharing the good things.
Let’s keep being the good things.
by 