Business on the Line and Battery Flat…Then Came Terry and Given
Good Things Guy | 11.02.2026 22:00
When the wheels stopped turning for a Cape Town small business owner, two strangers showed up with jumper cables and a reminder that kindness is what drives South Africa forward.
Franschhoek, South Africa (11 February 2026) – When your business runs on four wheels, it’s never ideal when those wheels stop turning.
Cape Town-based chaperone service owner Athol Williams’ night started on a promising note with business in Franschhoek, but things quickly turned pear-shaped, into a late-night standstill.
“My Chaperone Service that began with promise in Franschhoek quickly took a turn for the worse when my vehicle’s battery gave out at 22:30 on an eerily quiet Huguenot Main Street.” he shared on Facebook.
Athol tried everything he could to revive the battery, but he couldn’t. The stress of running a small business in service delivery started to set in well and properly. Then kindness showed up and flipped the odds over.
“Despite my best efforts to revive it, the car remained lifeless. Just as I was starting to feel desperate, Terry and Given arrived like a breath of fresh air,” shared Athol. “These two heroes, still in their work clothes, jumped into action and breathed life back into my vehicle with their jumper cables.”
Two men – who had likely just come off a long shift, also in service delivery – noticed Athol stuck and desperately needing help. The decision to act on that observation is what makes them good people.
“What struck me most was their unwavering kindness and refusal to accept any form of gratitude beyond my heartfelt thanks.”
If you’ve lived in South Africa long enough, you’ll know this story isn’t unusual. South Africans operate on an unspoken culture of kindness. That doesn’t mean we don’t have our problems, but we do show up for each other.
Stories like this one keep the good going and remind us that kindness is a choice that anyone can make.
It’s in the shared nod. The jumper cables at 22:30. The stranger who won’t take your money because helping was the point.
Athol has since encouraged anyone passing through Franschhoek to stop by and thank Terry and Given in person.
“If fate takes you to Franschhoek, do visit Franks Corner and thank these extraordinary people.”
