Teboho Kabayi was told he’d never own a BMW. Just two weeks later, thanks to the generosity of strangers and a remarkable act of corporate kindness, he was driving one home.
Ekurhuleni, South Africa (02 August 2026) – Just two weeks ago, 27-year-old Teboho Kabayi was standing at the entrance of BMW Kempton Park doing what he’d been employed to do. As part of the dealership’s access-control procedures, the security guard asked a visitor which department they were heading to and requested their driver’s licence so it could be scanned before entry.
A video quickly went viral showing the driver, who claimed to be a multi-millionaire, berating Teboho for following protocol. He questioned why he needed to tell security where he needed to go, mocked the security guard, laughed at him, and, perhaps most painfully, stated that no matter how hard he worked, he would never be able to afford a BMW. Through it all, Teboho never raised his voice. He calmly explained that he was following security procedures and continued treating the customer with respect, even as he was being humiliated.
Instead of laughing along with the video, South Africans saw a young man carrying out his responsibilities with professionalism and dignity. The clip sparked an overwhelming wave of support, with many saying Teboho deserved recognition rather than ridicule.
Among the first to act was Glen On Cars, a Johannesburg-based automotive community. Wanting to turn an ugly moment into something positive, its members tracked Kabayi down at the dealership and surprised him with what they jokingly called “lunch money”.
That “lunch money” totalled R31,900.
“We are not millionaires, but we try,” one of the group’s members said in a video shared on social media. “So we came here to support our friend at BMW, make him feel comfortable, and we gave him some lunch money.”
Speaking to Sowetan after the incident, Teboho said he had initially assumed the customer was simply having a bad day.
“I just thought he was frustrated or that he had brought the car in for a service and something was not fixed properly.”
He added that despite the abuse, he chose not to respond with anger.
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According to The Citizen, BMW Kempton Park also publicly backed its security guard, confirming that Teboho had acted in accordance with the dealership’s safety and access-control procedures.
“At all times, his actions were aimed at maintaining a safe and secure environment for our customers, colleagues, visitors and business partners, and we commend his professional and respectful conduct,” the dealership said.
For many, that could have been the end of the story. A community had rallied around a man who had been unfairly treated but South Africans weren’t finished showing up for him.
Inspired by the overwhelming public response, cybersecurity company ScaryByte presented Teboho with a BMW 1 Series, along with a R30,000 cheque, turning what began as a moment of humiliation into one of hope.
ScaryByte said it wanted to recognise a man who had continued to treat others with respect while just doing his job.
“He was treated disrespectfully while performing his duties. ScaryByte observed this and intervened. We remain committed to supporting the security industry as an integral part of our responsibilities. We extend our gratitude to all who brought this incident to public attention.”
Kabayi has already shared that he hopes to use the financial support he has received to expand his “side hustle” bakery business and give back through charitable donations, ensuring that the generosity shown to him can one day be shared with others.
This really is a “good things” story.
When one person tried to tear Teboho down, an entire country chose to lift him up. And now he’s got new wheels to help drive that future forward.
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