Kindness is the only thing that matters
South Africa’s news feeds are filled with hard news, stories of murder, corruption, robberies, and failing state-owned enterprises. Is there a space for good news – and do South Africans have an appetite for it? Brent Lindeque founded the Good Things Guy on 1 August 2015 to change the national conversation to bring a balanced view and perception of South Africa for South Africans through inspirational stories and good news. Brent put a spin on Neknominations drinking game. Instead of nominating other people to down drinks, he turned his nomination into an opportunity for a random act of kindness (RAK). The RAK initiative saw him give a homeless person an R20 meal and posted it to social media to “pay it forward.” This act of kindness turned into a global event called the RAK initiative and created the international #ChangeOneThing movement.
The power of positivity
The Good Things Guy publishes more than 10 articles every day across its website and social media channels, reaching more than 1 million people per month. It also hosts a podcast series and has launched a live-stream show on the Skyroom platform.
Purpose and passion
South Africans have proven their appetite for good news and inspirational stories with their support of the Good Things Guy. Brent has also created a team of journalists and storytellers to help him craft and shape their message of positivity and kindness to the world.
The Good Things Guy and Brent have racked up numerous awards and accolades since 2014. Brent was selected as a LeadSA Hero, one of Africa’s most promising entrepreneurs and also chosen as one of the prestigious Mail & Guardian Top 200 Young South Africans.
Brent has been featured on Carte Blanche, eNCA, Mashable, CNN, Sky News, Oprah and Ellen DeGeneres, and many more. A quarter of their followers and readers are based overseas – proving that good news spreads. The Good Things Guy shows that good news does sell. It has won Top Blog of the Year awards a handful number of times in South African, one of the top 100 best global websites to follow as voted by international readers, and its podcast is rated as one of the best in South Africa. The Good Things Guy has more than 400,000 followers across Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube daily. Their top five news stories are also displayed on various indoor and outdoor digital screens across the country to further inspire people’s days for the better.
Raising kindness in society as a priority
As with the rest of South Africa – and the world – Brent found himself isolating at home during the COVID-19 lockdown. He and his team went into overdrive to scour the country for uplifting stories of people, the environment, business, fun, and sport – and have brought wonderful travel tales as the borders and access has opened up around our provinces and borders.
A force for good
The Good Things Guy became a beacon of hope – and has firmly rooted itself in the South African psyche. Leveraging its readers, the Good Things Guy serves as a network to crowdsource aid for homeless and hunger initiatives across South Africa.
For Brent and his team, the Good Things Guy is more than just a website and social media content. It is a way of life for them. The Good Things Guy is an advocate for kindness in South Africa – and beyond.
