What should have been a story about forgotten groceries became something far more meaningful… a snapshot of the everyday goodness that keeps South Africa’s spirit intact.
Johannesburg, South Africa (27 November 2025) – Let’s be honest: most of us have had a long week, a long year, or a long everything… and then a story like this comes along and changes our entire perspective. A simple act from strangers at a local restaurant became a quiet, powerful reminder that our country still overflows with good people.
Thato Cassuto shared her experience on the “I Love Fourways” Facebook group, and it’s a story that instantly restores one’s faith in all the things we sometimes forget about ourselves.
In her own words, she wrote, “South Africa is not going to hell in a handbasket. I’ve always known this. Not in a naive, rainbow-nation, high-on-hope kind of way, but in the grounded, lived reality of a proud South African who has watched us wobble, fall, regroup, and still find a way to laugh at it all. We ride chaos with style. As they say: no DNA, just RSA.”
The kindness began with something incredibly ordinary: a grocery run at Cedar Square. Thato and her family had already packed the first round of groceries into the car, but once they’d made it through Woolies, the idea of trekking back to the parking lot felt impossible. So they wheeled the last trolley along with them to Smoke Daddy’s for brunch.
The manager, Emmanuel, offered to tuck the trolley away to keep it out of the way, a small gesture, offered without a second thought.
After brunch, they headed home… completely forgetting the trolley and everything inside it.
Two days later, after a series of confused fridge checks and a moment of thinking perhaps someone was “hiding the veggies”, Thato realised exactly what had happened.
“Then the penny drops: the groceries. The trolley. Smoke Daddy’s. TWO DAYS AGO!”
Most of us would assume the groceries were long gone. Forgotten goods at a public spot? They’d be written off. But at 9:15am on Tuesday morning, guided only by hope, Thato made the phone call.
What she learnt next left her stunned.
Emmanuel explained that the staff had found the trolley at closing time. Realising the food would spoil, they unpacked every item… fresh produce, frozen food, fruit, everything… and stored it safely in their own fridge.
“And for two full days, no one touched a single thing. Not one. Even the receipt was still in the bag, waiting patiently for its rightful owner.”
Not one grape missing. Not one yoghurt taken “accidentally”. Nothing touched.
Kindness in South Africa is often quiet, steady and woven into the smallest decisions.
Thato’s reflection captured the heart of this beautifully, “This… this… is South Africa too. The South Africa that holds your forgotten groceries for 48 hours and doesn’t help themselves to even a single grape. The South Africa that reminds you that kindness is still our national baseline.”
Her thanks went far deeper.
“So here’s a big, grateful shoutout to Emmanuel and the team at SmokeDaddy’s, Cedar Square. You didn’t just save my groceries, you affirmed my belief in us.”
The team at Smoke Daddy’s probably didn’t think twice about what they did. But their actions echo loudly: kindness is still our baseline. And when we stitch moments like these together, we get a country worth believing in… every single day.
by 