Choir boys from a high school and a primary school joined forces and voices to bring ‘Tshela Moya’ to life – a powerful reminder that music is a bridge that connects us all.

Midlands, South Africa (27 March 2026) – There is something powerful about older and younger boys standing side by side in a shared musical experience, supporting one another and contributing to something bigger than themselves.

Recently, the Hilton College Choir partnered with the Cordwalles Preparatory School Choir to perform and record Tshela Moya – a project that brought together boys from a high school and a primary school in a way that was both inspiring and deeply heartwarming!

Tshela Moya is a song about calling out courage, unity, and inner strength. The performed rendition began with one of the younger Cordwalles boys singing alone before his powerful voice was joined by the older Hilton boys, and together they invited the rest of the combined choir to join them in a rich harmony that was as captivating as it was inspiring.

The phrase itself means “pour out the spirit”. It is a powerful invitation to bring your full heart, your energy, and your purpose into the moment. It is a call to stand tall, to support one another, and to step forward with belief.

“The sense of connection, mentorship, and joy that emerged from this collaboration was remarkable to witness, and it speaks to the positive role that schools can play in building community through the arts,” shares Hilton College’s Burger Nel.

A particularly special highlight of the performance is the solo by Nkanyezi Lembethe, a Grade 6 learner from Cordwalles, whose voice and presence are truly exceptional.

“He is already showing the kind of talent and confidence that mark him as a real young star, and the way he carried this moment alongside the Hilton boys made the performance even more memorable.”

This performance was about far more than music. It was about brotherhood, the sound of boys becoming men, and the Midlands speaking with one voice!

Sources: Burger Nel

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 and 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 and hear their incredible stories:

Or catch an episode of Good Things with Brent Lindeque or our Weekly Top 5 below. The videos here are always changing, updated with the latest episodes from these two shows. Both are part of Good Things TV, created to bring South Africans balance at a time when the news can feel overwhelmingly negative. Our goal is simple: to remind you that there are still so many good things happening in our country – and to leave you feeling a little more proudly South African. 

The post Hilton and Cordwalles Choirs Unite for Soul-Stirring ‘Tshela Moya’ Collaboration appeared first on Good Things Guy.

A second essay from the Hilton College learner who earned 100% for his creative writing and over a million reads!

Hilton, KwaZulu-Natal (17 March 2026) – Last year, a Grade 11 learner named Guy Fender from Hilton College wrote a fictional essay about grief. His school, Hilton College, shared it online, and it went viral instantly.

It earned him 100%, over a million readers on social media and something even rarer – a chorus of strangers begging him to never stop writing.

“Last year, Guy Fender achieved a remarkable 100% for a piece of creative writing that reached more than 1.2 million readers on social media, with many calling for more of his work.” shared Hilton College recently.

This week, the school shared a second essay from their extraordinary student. This time, the subject is about being dropped from a rugby team, but in essence, it’s a meditation on identity, effort, and what happens when the thing you’ve built your life around closes its door on you.

“People think being dropped feels like a punch. It doesn’t. It feels like someone gently closing a door while you’re still talking.”

Beyond a command of imagery, the emotional intelligence underneath Guy’s writing shows that he has a gift for words, far beyond his years.

Readers have again responded in their thousands.

“This is the first real gift of writing I’ve read in a long time,” wrote one commenter. “You can reach inside people and lift out the meaning they did not know how to reach themselves,” wrote another.

A former rugby player said he related on every level. A mother said she was sending it to her sons.

Someone said: “A rugby player’s career lasts between 1 and 15 years. A writer’s lasts a lifetime.”

The essay, titled All Balloons Come Back Down, was published by the school two days ago and has been shared over 450 times on social media already, with thousands of comments and likes.

What struck us about this one is the honesty but also the hope it ends in. Our protagonist’s boots are still muddy, and he’s not where he thought he’d be. But the last line signals that things might be okay, and that’s a harder thing to write than triumph.

“I wasn’t done. I wasn’t finished. I just wasn’t where I thought I’d be. And for the first time, that felt like something I might be able to carry.”

If his first essay met you in your grief, this one will meet you in your disappointment.

Read the full essay below. (or here if you cannot see the post below).

Sources: Linked above.

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 and 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 and hear their incredible stories:

Or catch an episode of Good Things with Brent Lindeque or our Weekly Top 5 below. The videos here are always changing, updated with the latest episodes from these two shows. Both are part of Good Things TV, created to bring South Africans balance at a time when the news can feel overwhelmingly negative. Our goal is simple: to remind you that there are still so many good things happening in our country – and to leave you feeling a little more proudly South African. 

The post Remember the Hilton College Boy Whose Essay Went Viral? He’s Written Another. appeared first on Good Things Guy.

From “out” to “free hit,” the Hilton College first cricket team impressed fans at Kingsmead by flawlessly imitating umpire signals.

South Africa (30 January 2026) – Have you ever watched a cricket match and found yourself completely baffled by what the umpires were signalling, trying to make sense of all those gestures, hand movements, and calls? Well, at Kingsmead Stadium, one group of young cricketers stole the spotlight. The Hilton College’s first cricket team were put to the test! How well do they know umpire signals?

They were handed a mic to test how well they understood each one. From “out” to “four runs,” “no-ball” to “free hit,” and even tricky calls like “TV umpire to director” for a DRS decision, Hilton’s team nailed every gesture. Also done with perfectly timed facial expressions.

Showing that they don’t just play cricket, but live it. Every signal, whether simple or complex, was delivered with precision.

This also proves that knowing the laws and the finer points of the game can be just as entertaining as watching perfectly timed sixes.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by SuperSport (@supersporttv)

Sources: SuperSport 

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 and 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 and hear their incredible stories:

Or catch an episode of Good Things with Brent Lindeque or our Weekly Top 5 below. The videos here are always changing, updated with the latest episodes from these two shows. Both are part of Good Things TV, created to bring South Africans balance at a time when the news can feel overwhelmingly negative. Our goal is simple: to remind you that there are still so many good things happening in our country – and to leave you feeling a little more proudly South African. 

The post Watch Hilton College Students Master Cricket Umpire Signals Like Pros appeared first on Good Things Guy.

Two South African private schools are shining internationally! They’ve been named among the best on the continent and in the world.

Global (20 January 2026) – Bishops Diocesan College in Cape Town and Michaelhouse in KwaZulu-Natal have been named as two of the best private schools in Africa and among 150 of the best in the world!

The Schools Index is a trusted resource used by parents around the globe. Each year, it profiles the world’s top private international institutions. The index is created by UK-based education consultancy Carfax Education.

Schools are selected through a strict research and review process under a global team of education consultants. Selected schools meet high standards in academic results, leadership, ethos, reputation, facilities, university destinations, and long-term outcomes for old pupils.

Bishops and Michaelhouse ranked as two of the world’s best private schools in the previous edition of the index covering 2023-2024. This year’s recognition cements their status as top international institutions.

South Africa’s top two private schools join the American School of Lagos, Pembroke House and The British International School in Cairo in the ranks of Africa’s best.

Across the world, a total of 150 schools have been profiled in this year’s index, across 14 different categories that feature schools in the UK, Europe, Latin America, North America, Switzerland, Asia, Africa, Australasia, China, Hong Kong and the Middle East.

Alongside its Global Schools Index, Carfax has expanded on its ‘Ones to Watch’ index, spotlighting 25 schools that are either on the verge of joining the world’s best or offer something unique that sets them apart from the mainstream. South Africa shines there, too! Hilton College in KwaZulu-Natal is featured in the most recent listing of the best private schools to watch.

Sources: Linked above.

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 and 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 and hear their incredible stories:

Or catch an episode of Good Things with Brent Lindeque or our Weekly Top 5 below. The videos here are always changing, updated with the latest episodes from these two shows. Both are part of Good Things TV, created to bring South Africans balance at a time when the news can feel overwhelmingly negative. Our goal is simple: to remind you that there are still so many good things happening in our country – and to leave you feeling a little more proudly South African. 

The post Bishops and Michaelhouse Named Among World’s Best Private Schools! appeared first on Good Things Guy.

This essay, written by a grade 11 learner in KZN, is one of the most powerful and raw things you’ll read this week.

Hilton, KwaZulu-Natal (11 September 2025) – Hilton College is beaming with pride this week after Grade 11 learner Guy Fender wrote an English essay so beautiful it earned him a rare 100%.

It’s going viral now, with over 2000 shares and 10,000 likes on social media.

It’s the kind of storytelling that makes you stop in your socks.

At just 17, Guy managed to write with the kind of honesty and restraint that usually comes with years of experience. His essay explores grief, memory and the nuanced complexities of family.

“The hospice nurse called just after dawn, voice soft, rehearsed. I could hear birds outside her window. Too bright for the hour. ‘Your mother passed sometime in the night,’ she said. ‘We think around three a.m.’ But that wasn’t the first call I’d missed. I didn’t tell her that. Just said thank you, scribbled ‘dead’ next to Mum’s name on a grocery list which I wasn’t going to finish, and made a cup of tea.”

Guy’s fictional essay tells the story of a boy coming to terms with the death of his mom after her battle with cancer. It’s told in small, everyday details. The way grief so often shows up in real life.

What strikes hardest is how a grade 11 learner knows how to so gracefully balance tenderness with bluntness. Scribbling ‘dead’ on a grocery list, or muttering ‘you win’ at sea. These little details cut more deeply than melodrama ever could.

“I took her ashes to the beach last weekend. Wore the cracked shoes again. It rained, of course. Wind smacked me in the face like it knew who I was. I walked to the end of the pier and opened the cheap plastic urn. ‘You win,’ I muttered. It wasn’t dramatic. The ashes just kind of hung in the air for a second before blowing sideways, sticking to my sleeves and the inside of my mouth. Like salt. I stood there for a long time. Didn’t cry. Didn’t move. Just stood.”

It speaks to something universal. Loss, love, and the often complicated ways we remember those closest to us.

And perhaps most of all, it makes you feel hopeful. If this is what a South African high school learner is producing, the future of storytelling is in very good hands.

Read the full piece below.

Sources: Linked above

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 Hilton College Boy Goes Viral For Beautifully Written Essay About Grief appeared first on Good Things Guy.

Hilton College tuckshop legends and their famous toasted cheese inspire an outpouring of love and donations for their next chapter.

KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (13 August 2025) – For 37 years, under the care of Mr & Mrs K, Hilton College’s tuckshop became the spot for students. A place where a tough day could be softened by a smile, a chat, and, of course, one of their legendary toasted cheese sarmies.

Now, as the couple close the shutters on their tuckshop chapter, Hilton boys past and present are stepping up to say thank you in the biggest way they can: a community fundraiser to help Mr & Mrs K start their next adventure.

The goal was laid out on BackaBuddy by Hilton Old Boy, Brad Toerien.

If 2,000 Hilton boys and Old Boys each donate R250, the R500,000 target will be reached. That’s the cost of a lunch out, a week’s worth of coffees, or ten of those toasted sandwiches that have achieved near-mythical status.

It’s already off to a wholesome start. At the time of writing, over R29,000 has been donated via BackaBuddy since the fundraiser kicked off two days ago.

Donors are sharing love for Mr & Mrs K alongside their donations:

“Thanks for all the great toasties and for being such lovely people. Wishing you all the very best.” – Dave Pott, Churchill 1999

“Still can’t make a cheese and ham at home that gives me the same satisfaction. All the best and have a wonderful retirement.” – Darryck Luiz

“I was shocked when they remembered my name about 28 years after I left HC.” – Mzamo Khuzwayo

For generations of Hilton boys, the tuckshop was an anchor that made it easier to get through the first half of the day, knowing that break held a good cheese sarmie. Mr & Mrs K never failed to deliver on that.

Those simple tuckshop joys kept everyone going back in the day, and to this day. Hot dogs, pies, a pack of chips and those sour jawbreakers that made you wince, or chip a tooth.

Now the fundraiser organisers are calling on Hilton boys everywhere to chip in and help the Ks head into their new chapter knowing they’ll always be part of the Hilton story.

Some legends deserve more than just a goodbye, especially when they’ve connected with so many people who have gone on to do great this.

This time, it’s a cheesy cause that just makes us smile.

Sources: Linked above

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 After 37 Years of Tuckshop Service, Hilton Boys Rally to Send Off Mr & Mrs K appeared first on Good Things Guy.

The community supporting Hilton College have outdone itself by raising over R8 million as part of the school’s Giving Day. These funds are set to head different areas of impact—including support for non-profits as well as learners in need!

Hilton, South Africa (06 March 2025) — Hilton College had a super successful Giving Day this year that saw the school surpass its initial fundraising target by almost double.

These funds are set to play important and impactful roles across a spectrum of needs that the school supports!

This year’s theme was ‘Legacy in Action’. The school describes it as a reflection of their commitment to preserving traditions while driving forward progress and innovation.

With 36 hours on the clock, the school challenged people to help them raise a whopping R5 million.

However, the funds raised were to a much higher tune thanks to the ‘bonus hours’ round which pulled in even more support.

In total, R 8,675,168 was raised, all of which is set to head off to support different areas of impact, including:

• The Lift Up Your Hearts Bursary Fund—A fund that provides financial assistance to boys whose families cannot afford the costs of the school.
• The Vula Community Partnerships Fund—The school’s flagship community partnership project, which also supports projects undertaken by community initiatives like iThemba Projects and Love Howick.
• The Umngeni Estate Fund—Umngeni supports environmental and conservation projects in which the school is involved.

Then there is the Pinnacles Infrastructure Fund and the General Donations funds, of which the latter sees Hilton College distribute funds at its discretion.

The school couldn’t be prouder of what their community achieved!

Sources: Hilton College 

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 The Hilton College ‘Giving Day’ Raises Millions in a Matter of Hours appeared first on Good Things Guy.