I met an 83-year-old man in Pennington who’s been fixing potholes for nearly 12 years… using his own money, his maroon bakkie and a whole lot of heart.

South Coast, South Africa (20 April 2025) – Yesterday, I met a local hero in a place I had never been before, Pennington.

Pennington is a small, sun-drenched coastal village along the south coast where time slows down, the waves greet you first and all the dogs seem to know each other by name (or butt sniffs). It’s the kind of place where the milkshake at the corner café still comes with a paper straw (not because of climate change but because that’s how they’ve done it since the 80s) and where everyone seems to genuinely care about everyone else.

There’s heart here. And a whole lot of community.

But even in a place this charming, potholes don’t fix themselves.

Call it serendiptious. Or maybe fortuitous. Or perhaps just meant-to-be. But on the way to the beach, I crossed paths with an 83-year-old man named Tony Hoggins… a legend with a maroon bakkie who’s been quietly fixing the town’s potholes for over a decade.

Let that sink in.

Eleven and a half years.

Of mixing cement. Of patching holes. Of taking matters into his own hands because, as he puts it: “No one else is going to fix it.”

I’d come down to visit my parents, who’ve recently bought a property in Pennington with plans to eventually retire here. Drawn to the peace, the people and the promise of a gentler kind of life. I expected sea air, slow days and perhaps a lazy walk on the beach. What I didn’t expect… was to be reminded just how extraordinary ordinary people can be.

Tony is well-known around here. Everyone has a story. Some have seen him stop mid-errand to patch a hole. Others have helped him mix a bit of cement. Kids wave when they spot his maroon bakkie ambling through town. And more than a few locals have quietly left donations, slipped into his hand at the café, or passed through a car window, because they know he won’t ask… but they also know he won’t stop.

He does this with his own money. Every tool. Every mix. Every patch.

It’s not a funded project. It’s not backed by a municipality. It’s just Tony, his bakkie and a sense of duty to the place he calls home.

He told me it’s never been about recognition. He’s not trying to be a hero. He just saw something broken and decided to be the kind of person who tries to fix it. When I asked him what message he had for the rest of South Africa, he paused, like he didn’t want to preach, and then said something so profound: “If everybody did their little part in front of their own homes, or in their streets, or communities, then South Africa would be a very different place.”

Simple. But powerful.

Because we all know the truth, many parts of South Africa are struggling. Infrastructure is crumbling. Especially in smaller towns. Years of corruption and mismanagement have left roads full of holes and hearts full of frustration. It’s easy to feel hopeless. To believe that no one cares.

To throw your hands in the air and say, “Well, it’s not my job.”

But stories like Tony’s shift that narrative. They remind us that change doesn’t always come from the top. Sometimes, it starts at the bottom of a pothole.

Across the country, we’re seeing sparks of this same spirit. Initiatives like Tidy Towns Pennington, Tidy Towns Shelly to Margate, Better Fourways, and Better Bedfordview are proof that communities aren’t waiting anymore. They’re stepping up. Fixing what’s broken. Rebuilding what was left to decay. One street. One patch. One kind act at a time.

And Tony? He’s just one man with a maroon bakkie and a bag of cement. But in a country where too many are still waiting for someone else to fix things, he reminds us that waiting isn’t the only option.

He didn’t ask for permission. He didn’t wait for funding. He just got to work.

And maybe that’s the lesson here.

That real change doesn’t always roar in with a crowd. Sometimes, it arrives quietly… in the form of an 83-year-old with grit in his hands and love for his town in his heart.

Because if one person can do this much for one small village, just imagine what we could do together.

Start with what’s in front of you.
Fix what you can.
And never underestimate the power of simply showing up.

The road to a better South Africa might be long but thanks to people like Tony, it’s already being paved.

Sources: Interview with Tony Hoggins in Pennington 

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Do you have something to add to this story? Please share it in the comments or follow GoodThingsGuy on Facebook & 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 & hear their incredible stories:

Or watch an episode of Good Things TV below, a show created to offer South Africans balance in a world with what feels like constant bad news. We’re here to remind you that there are still so many good things happening in South Africa & we’ll leave you feeling a little more proudly South African.

The post The 83-Year-Old Filling Potholes and Restoring Hope in His Community appeared first on Good Things Guy.

Brian, the sand artist, doesn’t just make fabulous sand sculptures; he also takes care of the beach, which is his canvas! Thanks to Brian, Uvongo Beach has an extra pair of helping hands to keep it tidy.

Uvongo, South Africa (22 January 2025) — If you frequent Uvongo Beach, you’ve probably spotted Brian hard at work keeping the coastal gem clean.

A sand artist whose creations many have enjoyed, Brian spends extensive periods of time sculpting on the beach, which acts as both his canvas and his gallery. Since he spends a lot of his life at the foot of the sea, it was natural for Brian to decide to become a part of a community that cares for the area—Tidy Towns Shelly to Margate.

From raking up seaweed to tackling the ever-formidable red tides, Brian has become a valued pair of helping hands to the Tidy Towns team.

Shares Reg Horn, founder of Tidy Towns Shelly to Margate:

“Brian is really trying to turn his life around. He is a talented sand sculptor and has taken our motto of ‘Clean makes clean’ seriously.”

Teaming up with the Tidy Towns Clean Team, Brian’s efforts have a chain-reaction effect that is good for both his own exposure as an artist and for the Uvongo community as a whole.

Brian has received a lot of gratitude for his efforts and big nods from the Tidy Towns team, who keep so much of Shelly to Margate spick and span.

About Tidy Towns Shelly to Margate

From replacing pathways to beach clean-ups and taking care of storm aftermaths, the South Coast community often take their hats off to the Tidy Towns Shelly to Margate team.

A community-driven project that unites volunteers, local authorities and businesses, their mission encompasses making this stretch of the South Coast a place for people to be proud of. Their work is an example of how communities can and should come together for their shared spaces, especially when local governments don’t show up in the ways they should.

Those who want to be a part of their good news efforts can join the Tidy Towns Shelly to Margate group here.

Sources: Tidy Towns Shelly to Margate 

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 & 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 & hear their incredible stories:

Or watch an episode of Good Things TV below, a show created to offer South Africans balance in a world with what feels like constant bad news. We’re here to remind you that there are still so many good things happening in South Africa & we’ll leave you feeling a little more proudly South African.

The post Brian the Sand Artist and Unsung Hero of Uvongo Beach  appeared first on Good Things Guy.