From a South African chef receiving one of France’s highest honours to a young football fan winning hearts in Mexico, this week’s stories celebrate the people who continue to make us proud.
South Africa (20 June 2026) – The country feels tired. It’s in our conversations, we see it in comment sections and hear it in the way people talk at the water coolers and dinner tables. The challenges are real and pretending otherwise doesn’t help anybody. But every single week, while all of that is happening, there are other stories.
Stories filled with people who care, communities that show up for each other, people who choose kindness and South Africans doing remarkable things.
Those stories matter too. Maybe now more than ever.
The truth is, the news cycle never stops… I like to say the news will always be “newsing”. One headline replaces another. One crisis pushes aside the story that came before it. More corruption, crime, poverty, pain and sadness… it’s easy to get caught in that current and start believing that all we are is our problems.
But the truth is we’re not.
South Africa has always been more than just our headlines. We are a nation capable of frustration and hope, hardship and kindness, setbacks and incredible victories… often all in the same day. Two things can be true at the same time. I keep saying that. I even have a whole Keynote on this idea. We can acknowledge the challenges we face while also celebrating the people who are making a difference, chasing dreams, lifting others up and reminding us what this country is capable of.
That’s one of the reasons Good Things Guy exists.
And it’s certainly one of the reasons our newsletter has remained such an important part of what we do.
For the past 11 years, every single Friday (without missing one), we’ve sent a newsletter to our community. That community has grown to more than 100,000 subscribers. And every Friday, after hitting send, the replies begin arriving. Messages from readers who tell us they needed the stories. Readers who share articles with their families. And South Africans who say the newsletter has become part of their weekly routine. It’s the best feeling… knowing that our “little” platform is making a “little” difference.
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SPAR Women’s Challenge Boosts Northwood’s Vision for Paediatric Hospice CareEvery week, our team publishes around 110 stories. That might seem like an “odd” number. But we are averaging 20 stories a day (in the week) and another 10 on weekends. The newsletter features just 15 of them. It’s our way of highlighting a handful of the good things that happened during the week and offering readers a chance to catch up on the stories that made us feel lekker, or hopeful, or happy, or inspired us or reminded us why we love doing this work.
And the “Saturday Good News South Africa Wrap Up” is a little peek inside that newsletter. We’re not going to give you all the stories, silly… we want you to be part of our Newsletter community (which you can join by clicking here).
But if you needed more convincing, then let’s look at a few stories that were featured this week.
One of the stories that made us incredibly proud this week was the recognition of South African chef Chantel Dartnall, who was appointed a Chevalier de l’Ordre national du Mérite, one of France’s highest national honours.
Awarded by decree of the President of the French Republic, the distinction recognises individuals who have made significant contributions in their fields and helped strengthen France’s influence and values through their work. For Chantel, it marks an extraordinary milestone in a career that has consistently pushed the boundaries of gastronomy while showcasing South African creativity on the global stage.
Sharing the news on social media, Chantel described the recognition as “an immense privilege”.
“As a South African who has always looked to France with admiration for its extraordinary culture, gastronomy and art de vivre, receiving this distinction is an immense privilege. It is a moment that I could never have imagined when my culinary journey first began.”
And we couldn’t be prouder. We loved Restaurant Mosaic. And we love seeing Chantel doing really good things (and being awarded for them) in France!
Football gave us another reason to smile thanks to 18-year-old Adam Schlosberg, whose homemade makarapa stole almost as much attention as Bafana Bafana’s match against Mexico.
Wearing his Castle Lager-inspired makarapa, Adam captured the attention of football fans from around the world, with photos and videos of the proudly South African headgear spreading far beyond the stadium. The story gained even more attention after rumours spread online that the South African fan had managed to smuggle beer into the match in his makarapa.
Did a South African try to smuggle beer into a stadium? In Mexico? There may be a joke here. It kinda writes itself.
We caught up with Adam (aka SloshyFooty on Instagram) to get the real story behind the viral moment and discovered that what started as a fun idea turned into an unforgettable experience that had Mexican football fans stopping him in the streets.
A social experiment in Cape Town also reminded us of something many of us probably need to hear more often. Photographer Mariusz Szczawinski and Michelle Bobbert set out to compliment complete strangers and photograph their reactions.
The before-and-after portraits revealed something beautiful. A few sincere words transformed expressions, softened faces and opened people up in ways that were impossible to ignore.
You can see the full collection by clicking here.
This week’s SPAR Hero of the Week introduced us to Keenen Gilbert, a Stellenbosch University PhD student who has spent nearly a decade finding ways to serve others.
Those who know Keenen personally best describe him as a scientist with a servant’s heart. Deservingly so, as over the past nine years, the student has made his mark not just as a rising academic but as a community builder who creates opportunities that directly meet the needs of his peers.
For him, the University became a place where a curious kid from Johannesburg discovered that helping people does not require a medical degree, wealth or influence. It simply requires a willingness to serve.
Keenen has spent much of his university career asking one simple question: How can I help?
Over the years, Keenen has organised food drives, tutored struggling students, raised funds for those in need, and helped shape student development programmes. He’s a helper! And you can get his full story by clicking here.
In our Kids’ Storybook section, readers met two young brothers whose first day of school ended before it had really begun because they didn’t have school shoes.
What could have remained a heartbreaking story became something entirely different when two police officers stepped in, bought the young students new shoes and walked them back through the school gates. It’s a simple story, but one that perfectly captures how a small act of kindness can completely change someone’s day.
And then there was Huxley, this week’s OnePlan Pawsitive Story.
When he arrived at TEARS Animal Rescue earlier this year, his coat carried a heartbreakingly sad story of loneliness and neglect. His skin was so badly damaged by mange that his rescuers described him as looking as though he’d been ‘dipped in cement’.
“Severe demodectic mange is a skin condition caused by microscopic mites. In healthy dogs, these mites are kept in check, but when left untreated due to neglect, they multiply and cause devastating damage. Hair loss, thickened skin, painful sores and constant itching that makes it almost impossible for an animal to rest, let alone feel safe,” shares TEARS.
It was obvious that this doggie had, by no means, had an easy start to life on the streets of Mitchell’s Plain. Thankfully, he landed in the lap of heroes who were determined to turn things around.
Those are just a few of the stories featured this week. There were many more… there always are. And that’s what gives me hope.
While the heaviest headlines are often the loudest (and often focus on what’s broken), there are thousands of South Africans spending their days fixing things, helping neighbours, supporting strangers, building communities, chasing excellence, creating opportunities and choosing kindness.
And if we pay attention, we’ll start to see good things everywhere.
That’s the South Africa we celebrate every Friday in our newsletter. That’s the South Africa we share every day on Good Things Guy. And that’s the South Africa that keeps showing up, week after week, no matter what the headlines say.
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