A Ford bakkie with a flat tyre, slowly trying to make its way to the nearest petrol station, caught the attention of a kind security officer, unfolding into a beautiful reminder of what makes South Africans so special!
Pietermaritzburg, South Africa (25 May 2026) – Experiencing a tyre puncture in the yellow lane may not seem like a newsworthy story, but our readers know that this very mechanical inconvenience has sparked some of the kindest, most heartwarming moments on South African roadsides far and wide!
One of the most recent happened near Bisley in Pietermaritzburg, when two friends found themselves at a snail’s pace after noticing one of the tyres on their big bakkie was running flat.
They were on their way from working at a wedding in Bisley on Sunday morning.
“Now, changing a tyre on a Ford Ranger is no quick or easy task, especially where we ended up stopping after noticing the flat,” shares Nicci Goodwin on the Upper Highway Community Facebook page.
It was in that stressful predicament that a man, a local private security officer, noticed their distress and changed his route to lend a helping hand.
“This incredible man (sadly, I never got his name) saw us in distress… even though he was travelling in the opposite direction! Without us even realising, he noticed us panicking near the Cato Ridge offramp and actually turned around to come looking for us,” Nicci says.
At the time, Nicci had been making a slow attempt to try to make it to the nearest petrol station when the security vehicle pulled up behind her.
“He told us he had seen we needed help and came back to find us.”
The man in uniform kindly offered to change the tyre for Nicci and her friend, putting them completely at ease.
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Now that’s the kind of Mzansi magic that turns something as inconvenient as a flat tyre into a heartwarming story of connection and ubuntu.
Although the kind security officer wouldn’t accept money, Nicci and her friend were able to thank him by treating him to a takeaway lunch.
Moved by the man’s willingness to help and get them out of a difficult situation, while expecting absolutely nothing in return, Nicci couldn’t help thanking and celebrating him loudly:
“MAGMA Security!!! This man was absolutely amazing. Kind, selfless, professional, and truly a Godsend today. Thank you for employing people like him. The world needs more humans like this.”
We couldn’t agree. Siyabonga, and thank you to this selfless hero!
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