Pretoria Petrol Attendant’s Act of Kindness Wins Struggling Woman a R500 000 Car
- Benson Laka works at BP Winmore in Moreleta Park where he said he makes a point of reading how each customer is feeling before they even say a word
- Tembeka Sonkwele drove into a Pretoria petrol station at one of the lowest points of her life, not knowing the man filling her tank was about to change her life
- Nedbank and BP both showed up with financial rewards for Laka on Thursday, after Sonkwele made it her mission to ensure he got the recognition he deserved
A routine trip to fill her tank turned into the best day of a Pretoria woman’s life after a petrol attendant refused to treat her like just another customer.
Source: Facebook
Benson Laka, a BP petrol attendant based at BP Winmore in Moreleta Park, Pretoria, spotted that Tembeka Sonkwele was not okay. It was sometime in 2024, and Sonkwele, who is a resident of Pretoria East, had just lost her job.
She drove in that morning, barely knowing if she had enough money in her account to cover the petrol. What she did not know was that the man pumping her fuel was about to change her luck.
On Thursday, 5 March 2026, Sonkwele returned to BP Winmore with a team from Nedbank to honour the man who had changed her life. Nedbank handed Laka a cheque for R20 000, with R10 000 set aside for his children’s education. His employer, BP, added a further R5 000.
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According to a report by iOL, Laka enrolled her on Nedbank’s Greenbacks Rewards programme and swiped her card. This entered her into a competition to win a brand-new Mini Cooper valued at over R500 000. And she won.
How a petrol attendant read between the lines
Laka said that reading people is simply part of how he shows up to work. When Sonkwele pulled in, he could see she was carrying something heavy. He told her about the Nedbank Greenbacks Rewards programme.
The promotion was running in partnership with BP at the time. Motorists who swiped their Nedbank card for fuel stood a chance to win a brand-new Mini Cooper.
Sonkwele had left her phone at home and could not register on the spot. Laka told her to go home and fetch it. He held off settling her account until she returned. When she came back, he helped her register for the programme and completed the transaction that entered her into the draw.
Petrol attendants carry more weight than most people realise
South Africa has an estimated 140 000 people employed in petrol station roles. This is according to data from Trade and Industrial Policy Strategies. The job is physically demanding. They expected to helpful even when customers are dismissive or difficult.
Source: Facebook
See the Facebook video by bp here:
More petrol attendants bring Mzansi joy
- Briefly News previously reported that a KwaZulu-Natal petrol attendant showcased her radio presenting talent while on duty and received showers of praise from the online community.
- A trio of Engen petrol attendants in Nelspruit had people laughing with a fun video they shared.
- A Mzansi petrol attendant posted a video showing off the gifts he got from work from his management.
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Source: Briefly News
