Inspired by the life-changing freedom and independence her guide dog Jaydee provides, Angela Blackwell is fundraising to ensure other visually impaired individuals can experience the bond and safety that she now enjoys.
Cape Town, South Africa (23 November 2025) – Angela Blackwell lost her sight back in 2021 due to retinitis pigmentosa. This life-altering challenge was remarkably transformed when she met Jaydee, her guide dog, who offered safety, freedom and independence.
Now, she and Jaydee are setting out on a mission to ensure others can enjoy that same freedom while changing perceptions of blindness.
The pair will be the first guide dog and handler team to take on the Pondo Trail, a four-day trail experience that traverses 60 km of South Africa’s Wild Coast.
Angela, a global marketing director and mom of two, spent over two decades in tech marketing, leading campaigns and global teams at one of the world’s Fortune 500 companies before taking a career break in 2024.
Now, she’s channelling her energy and experience into a bold new adventure: tackling the Pondo Trail with purpose.
Angela’s “Paws on the Path” fundraising campaign aims to raise R500,000 for the South African Guide-Dogs Association (SAGDA).
“Meeting my guide dog, Jaydee, was a real turning point in my vision loss journey. She gave me freedom and independence anchored in my safety and the confidence to do brave things,” says Angela.
“This hike is about showing how empowering having a guide dog can be, and then paying it forward. I want others to experience this same life-changing gift.”
The Adventure
Angela and Jaydee are hard at work preparing for their Pondo Trail. They fly to Port Edward in February 2026, where 60km of wild coastline await them. Together, they will navigate a boat launch, beach walks, hiking up headlands, weaving along cattle paths and crossing rivers.
Related Stories
Kabelo Mulaudzi Celebrates Heritage Day With Joburg 10K Victory
Plenty of Green and Gold: The South African Sport to Watch This Weekend“It’s incredibly special for us to curate this adventure for Angela and Jaydee. Everyone deserves the chance to experience wild spaces, and we hope Angela’s campaign will open the way for many others with vision loss to do the same. We feel so privileged to be hosting Angela, and we believe that she will help us to ‘see’ Pondoland in a whole new way,” says Wild Child Africa director Matt Botha.
The cause
Angela has created a fundraising campaign called Paws on the Path to channel donations. All funds raised will go directly to SAGDA, covering the cost of raising, training and placing future Guide Dogs.
Angela and Jaydee’s story has already captured attention on social media, where her vibrant, humorous, and refreshingly honest posts are breaking stereotypes and sparking important conversations about living boldly and joyfully with vision loss.
View this post on Instagram
October marked World Sight Month, and Angela joined KFM and CapeTalk radio to share her story and encourage others that living with blindness doesn’t mean living small.
Whether hiking, gardening, or showing up to interviews in a bright orange floral jumpsuit, Angela radiates positivity and bright energy.
“I’m here to raise awareness, raise funds, and raise eyebrows,” she laughs.
Marketing Manager at the South African Guide-Dogs Association, Toni Erasmus, said she and her team are always inspired by the remarkable bond between an assistance dog and its owner.
“It’s incredible to see Angela and Jaydee approach this journey with such heart and dedication. We are truly grateful for the generous support we receive. Every donation makes it possible for us to provide more life-changing assistance dogs to people who need them most. We wish Angela and Jaydee all the best and will be cheering them on every step of the way.”
For more information or to support the campaign, head to The BackaBuddy funding page and follow Angela’s journey on Instagram.
All contributions will go directly to SAGDA, and tax certificates will be available on request.
Sources: Supplied
Don’t ever miss the Good Things. Download the Good Things Guy App now on Apple or Google.
Do you have something to add to this story? Please share it in the comments or follow GoodThingsGuy on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date with good news as it happens, or share your good news with us by clicking here or click the link below to listen to the Good Things Guy Podcast with Brent Lindeque – South Africa’s very own Good Things Guy. He’s on a mission to change what the world pays attention to, and he truly believes there’s good news around us. In the Good Things Guy podcast, you’ll meet these everyday heroes and hear their incredible stories:
Or catch an episode of Good Things with Brent Lindeque or our Weekly Top 5 below. The videos here are always changing, updated with the latest episodes from these two shows. Both are part of Good Things TV, created to bring South Africans balance at a time when the news can feel overwhelmingly negative. Our goal is simple: to remind you that there are still so many good things happening in our country – and to leave you feeling a little more proudly South African.
by 
