A crowdfunding campaign for petrol attendant Nkosikho Mbele whose act of kindness warmed hearts across South Africa has raised more than R282,000 to help his family in Cape Town.

Mbele paid R100 out of his own pocket to top up the tank of a motorist who stopped for fuel but had forgotten her bank card while driving to Cape Town. He was worried that she would be stranded on a notorious stretch of highway if she ran out of fuel.

Monet van Deventer, an account manager, shared the heartwarming story of her encounter with Mbele in a post on Facebook, saying it had given her hope for the future of the country.