The Warren effect: real, powerful and warming hearts

When Warren Bhebhe saw a man walk into the petrol station where he worked, with two tearful daughters in tow, he said to himself: “This is a man in real trouble.”

He was not wrong. The father had run out of petrol and could not get his daughters to school. They were desperate and broke — and between them had scraped together R20.

Bhebhe, who works a six-day week at the Shell service station’s convenience store, knew their R20 would not get them far, so he told the petrol attendant to fill up a 5l container and said he would pay for it.

“Then I said to myself, eish, this man has only R20. This is not only about petrol. So I went to my wallet and grabbed R100, folded it up small and went to greet him as he was leaving. I said, ‘OK my guy, go well’, and I shook his hand and slipped him the money,” said Bhebhe.

It was the right thing to do. His children were crying and I could see he was trying hard to keep it together 

—  Warren Bhebe

On a tight budget himself, Bhebhe had just R300 in his wallet — the exact amount he would need for travelling to work for the month. His spontaneous generosity left him with less than R100.

But he had no regrets.

“I just live by faith. It was the right thing to do. His children were crying and I could see he was trying hard to keep it together. I am a dad too, and I couldn’t imagine being in such a crisis. I always like to help people where I can.”

He could never have dreamt what the consequence of his simple act of kindness would be.

The broke dad, Justin Roderick, was overwhelmed by this stranger’s kindness. Not only did he return the next day with his entire family to express his heartfelt gratitude, he also updated his Facebook post about the incident and included photos.

In it, he described how he had wept as he drove home after dropping his daughters at school, feeling deep peace, no longer alone in his troubles. 

“This man, who works long hours, who probably doesn't earn a great amount, who asked for nothing in return, not only paid for 5l of fuel but also handed me R100 out of his own pocket,” Roderick wrote.

“He didn’t just bless me with petrol. He gave me hope. He didn’t just get my car going. He helped carry my heart this morning. This was more than just generosity; it was pure, selfless love and kindness in action.”

His post was shared hundreds of times. People were touched and commented. Bhebhe’s own colleagues were moved by his kindness.

“People have been coming here to shake Warren’s hand. One man said he wanted to see what kindness looks like,” said colleague Padma Maisuraya.

Bhebhe received dozens of calls and texts. Friends sent him links to the post and reactions. He opened his dormant social media accounts and was overwhelmed. 

“One friend said, ‘Yoh, bro, you’re trending, baba’. I thought he was joking and then I started panicking. Everything was blowing up on Facebook, and I am just not that person,” Bhebhe told the Sunday Times. 

The story was shared in his work group, and Shell stepped up and gave him a bonus. A few other donors sent him money. He did not take any repayment from Roderick.

“I’m not sure about this money thing. It was never about that. If it gets too much I am just going to have to find a way to pay it forward.” 

On Wednesday, management consultant Nick Pitro drove into the garage forecourt, withdrew money from the ATM and called for Bhebhe.

“My wife had sent the story to me. I’ve worked hard and been fortunate in my life and said if a guy at a petrol station can buy petrol for a stranger, what stops me from being that kind of guy? So I took a drive there,” Pitro told the Sunday Times after the newspaper tracked him down. 

“I told Warren I wouldn’t have helped a stranger, and asked him why he did it. He just said, ‘that guy was going through a bad time’. So I said ‘Warren, I am going through a good time so here is something for you’, and I gave him money,” Pitro said. 

Manager Ghyroon Khan said: “Warren's a good guy and has hard times like anyone else. He sometimes comes and has to ask for an advance of R50 or R100,” she said.

Roderick has been equally overwhelmed by all the support and generosity extended to him after his post. 

He told the Sunday Times: “Things had been so dark and hard and stressful and because of a stranger I was suddenly experiencing peace and hope. He acted like a brother, not a stranger. He made the whole world feel friendlier.”

Roderick, his wife and daughters, aged nine and 11, are having financial battles and living from day to day. On the day they ran out of petrol, he had no airtime to call anyone, so they desperately scraped together R20 in coins, hoping it would get them enough petrol to get to school.

“We have a full tank of petrol for the first time and good food on the table. It’s been a blessing and I don’t feel alone any more. It’s like I have this huge family that cares,” he said. 

“This thing I am calling the Warren Effect — it’s real. It’s powerful and I want to build something from it. What started in a petrol station in Bryanston has become a movement — we’ve shown the world something extraordinary.”