Nelisiwe Nxumalo was just going to grab a quick snack at the store when she noticed a man attempting to buy a meal at the deli section, only to put his food back when he saw the price. What she did next didn’t just bring the man to tears, but also moved her to the core.
Johannesburg, South Africa (22 May 2025) – Sometimes kindness can look like looking twice after noticing a complete stranger having a hard time with something from the corner of your eye.
This was exactly the case for Nelisiwe Nxumalo during a recent store run for a quick snack of fruits and yoghurt when she noticed a man dressed in blue work overalls at the deli food section.
In a Facebook post, Nelisiwe shared how she had noticed that the man looked like he had just got off a hard work shift and had ordered a meal.
“He was holding food and counting coins. I watched him put his coins back in his pocket and the food back on the counter,” Nelisiwe wrote.
Touched by the man’s predicament, she asked whether the ladies working at the deli could serve him a smaller portion of food, to which one of them answered it was too early in the morning to serve him some pap, as it was not ready yet.
And so, Neliswe extended a gesture of kindness, offering not only to pay for the man’s meal but also to buy him another two items he wanted.
“He picked a loaf of bread and a 2-litre drink.
“We walked to the tills and I paid. The total was less than R70 as you can see, but the guy thanked me so much he almost cried and I was almost crying also. I couldn’t even ask him the things I wanted to ask him, but I trust we will meet again and chat,” Nelisiwe said.
Moved by the man’s emotion and gratitude to her empathetic gesture, Nelisiwe reflected on how as a people, we often take so much for granted.
“Life is extremely tough for our brothers out there, for everybody actually.”
Through her post, which has gained much traction and admiration on Facebook, Nelisiwe hopes it might encourage more of us to help with whatever little we may have, when an opportunity presents itself. The person on the receiving end will likely appreciate it more than we could ever imagine.
Sources: Nelisiwe Nxumalo
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