“Only the Beginning”: Gent Restoring a Taxi Rank in Mzansi Goes Viral As Youth Make a Difference
- A young man from Potchefstroom shared a video of himself and volunteers restoring a rundown taxi rank
- The video showed the group painting benches and shelters where passengers wait for taxis
- South Africans praised the young man and asked how they could support the cause
Source: TikTok
A young man from Potchefstroom has been making waves online after sharing his mission to restore rundown public spaces in his community. On 10 October 2025, the video was posted showing day two of the project to restore the Ext 7 taxi rank in Ikageng. The clip showed him and fellow volunteers working hard to fix up a taxi rank that had been left in bad condition for years. Armed with paint, rollers and determination, the group spent their day giving the space a complete makeover.
The clip went viral, getting over 16,000 reactions and hundreds of comments from South Africans who were inspired by the work being done. The video showed the team painting benches where passengers sit and the shelter that covers people waiting for taxis. Everything that used to look old and worn out was getting a fresh coat of paint and some much-needed attention.
The video was shared with the caption:
"DAY 2: RESTORING EXT 7 TAXI RANK (IKAGENG) 🥹❤️🩹 We continue to hold on to the hope we once had. Knowing that everything has its time. We will not grow weary, but will continue to persist till the end, being grateful through every single step we take. Grateful to the Lord who has carried us through. This is only the beginning!"
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Source: TikTok
Mzansi praises the youth for making a difference
Netizens flooded the comments section with praise and support, with many asking how they could help fund the project.
@hlogi said:
"I liked it twice, the way I'm so impressed."
@frostedsnow wrote:
"The true definition of 'Change starts with you.' This is honestly beautiful."
@rionavather88 shared:
"Great work ❤"
@obr_mmaetsho wished:
"How I wish to restore my village too 🥺🥰"
@ohgee advised:
"Well done, also hold your municipalities accountable. Find out who is in charge of what at the municipality, guys. Let's build our country."
@perry_ and 997 others joked:
"Now you guys have a portfolio to use when applying for tenders 👏😁"
@nico_nxumalo pointed out:
"🤔💐💐👌🤗 These guys are doing something that municipality employees should be doing 😳 At no cost."
North West faces service delivery challenges
According to the Auditor-General South Africa, the North West province has been struggling with service delivery and infrastructure maintenance. The reports showed that the provincial public works and roads department underspent its budget on transport infrastructure by R466 million, mostly related to road construction and maintenance, due to poor planning.
TikTok user @petersonsebati, who is the founder of the nonprofit organisation @retsa_tsela, has been working to fill the gaps left by government services. His bio states that he is dedicated to uplifting and restoring rundown areas in his community.
The Auditor-General's report also showed that user departments lacked the required project management capabilities, which is why initiatives like @petersonsebati's nonprofit have become so important in communities where government services have fallen short.
Watch the TikTok clip below:
More restoration stories in SA
- Briefly News recently reported on a mum in Duduza who turned her bedroom into an affordable spa specifically designed to serve elderly pensioners with care.
- A young South African impressed viewers after restoring his grandfather's old Golf into a show-winning masterpiece.
- A Potchefstroom man shared a video in September, showing volunteers cleaning up a school.
Source: Briefly News
