Steve has just done something incredible! He’s walked 300 km, from Mossel Bay to Plettenberg Bay, in his ongoing mission to raise over a million rand to help fund the studies of young students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Cape Town, South Africa (07 April 2026) – Retired Steve Murphy first had the idea after his wife counselled a young girl who had lost her parents. At eighteen, this left her unable to complete her matric, and with it, her future shrank in ways it shouldn’t have had to.
Thankfully, Steve and Jenny were willing to help. In doing so, they realised how many more young adults were navigating the same reality in South Africa. Too many capable minds are denied the chance to build careers, support their families and contribute to society, simply because they can’t afford to finish school or get into tertiary education.
“We could help the young lady financially but we also realised there were many others in this predicament and thought we would try ‘something’ like a walk!” Steve tells us.
That’s how it began. He mapped out a 300-kilometre route from bay to bay, a growing BackaBuddy campaign in tow, with an initial goal of one million rand, enough to cover student fees for at least a handful of young South Africans who needed a hand.
Steve started out knowing his efforts wouldn’t solve the national unemployment crisis, but was equally convinced that hope, placed in capable hands, leads somewhere worth going.
“I am not really trying to ‘eat the elephant’ – I think, if we give young people skills we create hope and they are resourceful enough to find their own way. Build a solid base (that is an entity which is credible, authentic and real) and which others are happy to support, and the rest will follow. Empowered people do things that assist others.”
A call for sponsorship went out to his network, and Steve set off step by step. Over two weeks, he crossed the Garden Route to Storms River and back to Plettenberg Bay. He covered 300 km, averaging around 20 kilometres a day. It’s no small feat for anyone, let alone a champ of 74!
The road made space for all kinds of thoughts, but perhaps the greatest realisation was that making a difference can be as straightforward as putting one foot in front of the other for a worthy cause.
“I am a person of faith, so I did wonder if in my latter years I might still be fruitful. I also was encouraged to reach out to others with so little when I had so much. I was profoundly moved by the courtesy, kindness and respect from fellow pedestrians. I wondered if I lived in the same country as our parliamentarians and much of the media. I do not want to diminish the pain of those who have suffered violence and loss, but whilst that was a concern of mine, my lived experience was very different. So my thoughts have turned to registering a PBO and doing this ‘full time’ going forward.”
Along the way, Steve and his network raised R226,792. And then came a pledge that blew his original goal out of the water.
“The support I’ve received has been amazing, outstanding and humbling. I also received a pledge from the Graduate Institute of Financial Sciences of R1 million in educational bursaries for 2026!”
Around ten applicants have already reached out for help. The R1.25 million raised so far will get their studies off the ground, but the goal has grown, and so has Steve’s appetite for it. He’s already planning the next one.
“Now that I’ve reached the end of the journey, I feel on top of the world, grateful for a body that is still resilient, and ready to do more – I’m motivated for next year’s effort!”
Ultimately, choosing to give might just be the most rewarding thing a person can do with their time on earth.
“So much of western lifestyle is about getting, keeping, having. Jesus taught that giving is more blessed. It brings more contentment and satisfaction than getting. This exercise has confirmed for me that truth! So here is to trying to give a little more each day!”
Steve’s campaign is still running. If you’d like to support his cause, follow this link.
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