“This Makes Me So Happy:” Domestic Worker Gets New Smile After Running Buddy Arranges Dental Gift
- A domestic worker from Johannesburg received a life-changing gift from a Johannesburg dental practice through her running friend.
- Nesta and her running companion have been hitting the road together for over a year and a half, building a deep friendship
- Midways Dental in Johannesburg received all the credit for restoring Nesta’s smile and her confidence completely
A domestic worker left South Africa with hearts full after a Johannesburg dental practice gave her a brand new set of front teeth, and it was her running friend who made it all happen.
Source: TikTok
Nesta, a domestic worker, had been living without her front teeth for years. That changed when Midways Dental in Johannesburg stepped in and restored her smile completely. Her running companion, TikTok user @maryke_nel, shared the before-and-after transformation on 26 March 2026, and Mzansi was left in tears.
More than just a run
The friendship between Nesta and Nel started on the road. The two women have been running together for over a year and a half. Along the way, Nel began documenting Nesta’s life on TikTok, and the videos took off. Several clips have already pulled in millions of views as people across the country fell in love with who Nesta is, not just what she looked like.
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Domestic workers make up one of the largest employment sectors. Over 850,000 people work in private homes across South Africa. Friendships between workers and employers or running partners that cross social lines still make people stop and look twice. For Nesta and Nel, the camera was always rolling, and the love was always real.
The smile that made Mzansi fall in love
The TikTok clip of Nesta’s dental transformation showed two versions of the same woman. One without front teeth, and one with a full, bright smile sitting right at the front of her face. The difference was night and day.
Most of the credit went straight to Nel. But Nel was quick to point a finger in another direction. She made it clear that Midways Dental deserved every bit of praise for what they pulled off.
See the transformation in the TikTok clip below:
Mzansi reacts to the beautiful moment
Briefly News compiled some comments from the post below.
@reformed_socialite commented:
“You are an angel. May God forever bless you.”
@A N I T A.M 🦋 said:
“Aw! This makes me so happy. 🥹❤️🫵”
@ousie noi 🥺💖 wrote:
“Aw! Sweet. 🥰 Thank you for doing this for mummy. ❤️🙏”
@Danisile Mkwanazi highlighted:
“This video is too blurry. 🥹😭❤️”
@𝑵𝒆𝒐-𝑬𝒏𝒕𝒍𝒆'🌸 commented:
“Oh! How I love Nesta. 🥺🫰🫂”
Source: TikTok
More touching moments
- South African Gqom queen Babes Wodumo was a guest on Yfm studios on Friday, 7 November 2025.
- Actor Atandwa Kani shared an emotional post while spending quality time with his legendary father, John Kani.
- A Johannesburg domestic worker known as "The Mop Driver" shared an emotional video where she comforted her friend with stage 4 cancer.
- Media personality Clement Manyathela paid tribute to late journalist Tshidi Madia during SONA preparations.
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Source: Briefly News
