I’ve cried (twice), laughed loudly on a plane, eaten the best steak of my life and got a nostalgic music punch straight to the heart… welcome to this week’s Friday Five.
South Africa (16 May 2025) – Welcome to The Friday Five, my absolute favourite weekly ritual here at Good Things Guy. Think of it as a little virtual catch-up between us, where I get to share the best things I’ve watched, read, listened to, eaten and experienced… so that you don’t have to scroll aimlessly trying to find something decent.
Every week, I sift through the noise, the Netflix trailers, the playlist drops and the pop-up event invites to bring you five (okay, sometimes more) handpicked recommendations that are good for the soul. And sometimes, just really, really fun.
It’s a space where I get to give you my honest thoughts. You see, I get invited to movie premieres before they even hit your screens. I get early access to new series and I sometimes get to eat food before it’s even officially on a menu (a perk I take very seriously).
So, every Friday, I round up my absolute favourites… the stuff I think you’ll love too.
🎬 Movies you NEED to watch!
🍝 Nonnas
This movie. This movie! Vince Vaughn leads a heartfelt, hilarious and honestly goosebump-inducing cast as the founder of a restaurant run entirely by real-life Italian grandmothers. The film is inspired by Jody “Joe” Scaravella’s true story, a man who took grief, love and garlic and turned it into something deeply nourishing for the soul.
It’s everything you want in a romantic comedy and more… touching without being cheesy, funny without trying too hard and completely grounded in something real.
Also, Susan Sarandon, Lorraine Bracco, Brenda Vaccaro and Talia Shire? That’s a power table I’d love to sit at.
Two hours well spent. Just don’t watch it hungry. You’ve been warned.
Now available on Netflix.
🏞️ The Salt Path
A completely different emotional ride but equally worth it. This one had me wrecked. But somehow left hopeful. Based on the memoir by Raynor Winn, The Salt Path is about losing everything and finding something deeper.
Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs absolutely shine as a couple forced to face homelessness and a terminal illness in one devastating week. And then decide to walk the 1,000km South West Coast Path to reclaim their lives.
It’s authentic. It’s inspiring. And it’s gritty in all the right ways. This isn’t some polished, filtered love story. This is raw, hopeful and real. And when you walk out of that cinema, you’ll find yourself holding your people a little closer.
Now available in cinema.
📺 Series to get stuck into
🏩 The Four Seasons
Don’t let the name fool you! This isn’t about weather. It’s about relationships… and how they shift with time.
Three suburban couples vacation together each season but when one of the couples implodes (and the ex-husband returns with a MUCH younger girlfriend), the group dynamics start to unravel.
This series is sharp. It’s clever. And it’s honestly one of the best ensemble casts I’ve seen in a long time. Tina Fey is her usual magic. Steve Carell as the vulnerable, quietly hurting Nick is… well, award-worthy. And the supporting cast (Colman Domingo, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Will Forte) all bring depth, comedy and heart in spades.
It’s that perfect mix of LOL and “oh damn, that hit hard”.
Also, it’s just been picked up for a second season (which should come out next year)!
But season one is now available on Netflix.
🦾 Murderbot
Alexander Skarsgård as a rogue security robot with a secret? Yes please.
Murderbot is based on a cult-favourite sci-fi book series, and if you’re even slightly into tech, space, robots or sarcastic commentary on human stupidity… this one’s for you.
The first two episodes are out now, and they’re an absolute banger. It’s sleek. It’s smart. And it’s weirdly emotional in all the ways you don’t expect. I’m already obsessed.
Skarsgård’s inner monologue is genius. And there’s something oddly comforting about watching a robot just try to avoid feelings and humans at all costs. Relatable content, really.
Now available on AppleTV+.
🎧 Music that’s been on repeat
🎶 Avril Lavigne “Young & Dumb” (feat. Simple Plan)
Hello, 2002 called. And I’m answering with eyeliner, emo nostalgia and full volume. This is our anthem. A pure, unapologetic throwback with lyrics like “These are the best nights, living our best lives” that’ll hit every millennial right in the feels.
It’s fun. It’s messy. And it makes you want to grab your mates and scream-sing out of a car window.
🎶 Joe Jonas “Heart By Heart”
This one caught me off guard. It’s emotional. Vulnerable. And just honest. No gimmicks. No drama. Just a man reflecting on love, loss and the beauty of letting go with grace. If you’ve ever loved someone deeply, this song is going to land somewhere tender.
🎶 Ben Abraham “Satellite”
Okay, this is not new. But it’s been living rent-free in my head this week. Ben Abraham’s “Satellite” is hauntingly beautiful. One of those songs that sneaks up on you. And the lyrics will get you. They will help you find your way.
“Lift your eyes and watch the sky / I’ll be your satellite.”
Sometimes that’s all we need… someone steady when everything feels a little too much.
Also, I’ve now curated all these gems into a playlist on Apple Music! So if you’re looking for good vibes and soulful sounds to accompany your day, give it a spin. (Apologies to my Spotify peeps, but I’m team Apple.) Trust me, you’ll want these tracks on repeat all weekend.
🍽️ A place you have to experience!
Ranked 87th in the world. Not the continent. The world!!!! Stellenbosch’s fire-cooking marvel, VUUR, is officially one of the best steak restaurants on the planet (and one of only two South African eateries on the list). And it only opened 15 months ago.
Chef Shaun Scrooby is playing with fire in all the best ways… think dry-aged cuts grilled over native wood, smoke-kissed desserts and sides that literally arrive sizzling.
It’s not just a meal. It’s a show. A ritual. An ode to what it means to cook with heart.
“Fire cooking isn’t just a trend,” Shaun says. “It’s a return to something visceral and real.”
And he’s not wrong.


❤️ One more thing
To the cynics, the “realists” and everyone convinced that a glass can only be half something… this one’s for you.
I read comments. Not because I’m a glutton for punishment but because I actually enjoy connecting with people. I like the engagement. I love the conversations. Even the spicy ones.
But every now and then, I get a little kak thrown my way. Not always because of what I’ve said but often because people can only meet you as deeply as they’ve met themselves. Most days, I scroll on by. I carry on sharing the good stuff, the hope and the light… because I know what it means to people. I know what it means to me.
But today, I want to pause for a moment.
Because someone out there might need to hear this.
This week, I published a factual story: South Africa has just been ranked one of the best places in the world for British expats to move to. It’s not fluff. It’s not PR spin. It’s real. It happened. Next to Canada and Australia, we are a destination of choice for people from other countries.
That’s some lekker news (for them… and for our tourism… and for our economy). Go South Africa!!! ❤️🇿🇦
Almost immediately, someone replied: “Talk about rose-coloured glasses…”
Ja, I get it. I know about those other headlines babe.
I’m not oblivious to the loadshedding, the potholes, the politics, the poverty, the crime, the corruption, the people leaving and the general heaviness we carry on a day-to-day basis.
I live here too. I’m not wearing rose-tinted anything. I’m just choosing to see the whole picture.
And that includes the good.
Because here’s what I’ve learnt after more than a decade of reporting on good news… of digging through the noise to find the light:
1. Two things can be true at the same time.
South Africa has its fair share of challenges. But we also have brilliance, kindness, resilience and joy. Both can exist at the same time. One doesn’t cancel out the other.
2. There is more to our story.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie said, “There’s a danger in a single story.” And she’s right. If we only ever focus on what’s broken, we forget what’s beautiful. We lose sight of what’s working. We stop believing we can fix what’s not.
3. When the news feels the heaviest, we’re least open to the good.
And that’s when we need it most. Hope doesn’t come knocking with bells and whistles. Sometimes it’s quiet. Sometimes it’s buried. But it’s there. I promise you, it’s there.
4. Good news doesn’t disappear when bad things happen.
It’s not on pause. It doesn’t take a break while the world burns. It keeps unfolding in kindness shared, in lives saved and in small acts of bravery and everyday magic. And some people… the really brave ones, choose to rise even higher when things get hard.
5. There is power in choosing light.
Not ignorance. Not delusion. Choice. To look for the helpers. To notice the good. To hold space for joy, even when the world feels chaotic. That’s not weakness… that’s courage.
One of my FAVOURITE quotes comes from Fred Rogers. I repeat this man’s words on a daily basis. On most Fridays on 702. In every Keynote. And every opportunity I get. It has become my mantra… because it is true.
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’”
I believe that deeply. Because they are always there.
But over time, I’ve added my own little revision.
“And if you can’t find a helper… then it is your responsibility to become one.”
Profound hey?
No… it’s just the truth.
So I won’t stop.
I won’t stop writing about the helpers… the good people doing great things. I won’t stop looking for the light. And I won’t stop dealing in hope.
Because I believe in this country.
I believe in its people.
And I believe that even the smallest good thing can make a big difference.
And maybe, just maybe, if we all started seeing it that way… then that glass wouldn’t be half anything.
For more good news, keep reading Good Things Guy.
Okay. Love you. Bye.

Sources:
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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.
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