A former Miss South Africa has kick-started an initiative for ordinary South Africans to help pay off lay-by accounts for school uniform purchases at Pep Stores across the country.

This comes after a man in the Eastern Cape made headlines for spending over R100 000 settling account balances.

FORMER MISS SA STARTS SCHOOL UNIFORM INITIATIVE

In a viral social media video, image consultant Megan Coleman, a former Miss South Africa, shared a plea for South Africans to assist needy learners who had yet to receive their school uniforms.

The initiative involves settling the accounts of parents who have taken lay-by accounts at Pep Stores around the country.

Coleman – who won the title in 2007 – shared: “Last week we popped into Pep and asked if we could pay off a few of their lay-by, knowing that there are thousands of kids around South Africa whose parents were not able to afford their school uniforms at the start of the year.

“We waited while the store manager phoned the families that we had helped, and they were in complete disbelief.”

Issuing a call to action, she continued: “We know it’s a tough month for everyone, but if you do have a little to spare, pop into your nearest PEP and ask if you can do the same. You don’t have to pay off the whole amount; even just a portion goes a long way.”

The initiative was liked by many prominent South Africans, including philanthropist Rachel Kolisi.

GENEROUS GOOD SAMARITAN

Meanwhile, an anonymous shopper, hailed a “Good Samaritan”, paid off 260 unpaid lay-bys at a Pep Store in Aberdeen, Eastern Cape, last month.

The total amount was R132 500.

PEP chief marketing executive Beyers van der Merwe said in a statement: “We were taken completely by surprise.

“This level of human kindness reminds us that generosity lands powerfully when it connects to people’s real needs. The lay-bys were for school uniforms, baby clothing, and other essentials”.

In 2019, another anonymous benefactor walked into a local store in Mossel Bay and paid off every lay-by in the books, totalling R337 000.

The stranger left a note to all the recipients, which read: “I am grateful that I’m in a position to settle your PEP Store lay-by. I know it’s up to people to help people. It’s just the decent thing for all of us to do…”