By Jo Giles | Head Angel
Buckle up! Our Jozi bus is officially on the road!
In our last report, we were so excited to announce the launch of Johannesburg’s very first Super Sam Hero Vehicle. A few months on, we want to update you on how ‘Sam se Jozi Bussie’ has been getting on and what the first few months on the road have looked like.
We’ve had our first VIP passengers, new hospital relationships, lots of learning, plenty of smiles and even our first flat tyre!
But most importantly, there have been children getting to critical clinic appointments, parents getting to the bedsides of their little ones and families having one less thing to worry about during an already difficult time.
No Super Sam Hero Vehicle can go very far without a Super Sam Hero behind the wheel and William Kutumela, the very capable driver of our 22-seater bus, has quickly become an important part of the Footprints 4 Sam family!
One of William’s proudest moments was seeing the excitement, smiles and laughter on the faces of children boarding Sam se Bussie for the very first time! And yes, William and Sam se Bussie have already navigated that first flat tyre together too!
Sam se Bussie made its first official journeys on 9 June 2026, and even with a limited number of operational days during those early weeks, we were delighted to see the impact begin almost immediately.
In June alone, the Jozi vehicle was operational for just 11 days, but during that time it supported 76 people, including 38 children. We also transported 31 parents travelling without their children, mums and dads who needed a safe and reliable way to get to hospital to be with their little ones and sit by their bedside.
These first months have also been about listening, learning, building relationships and creating the foundations for a service that we hope will support Jozi families for many years to come! And we couldn’t have done any of this without your continued support. So a very big thank you, Sam se Bussie’s Jozi journey has only just begun, and we
can’t wait to see where the road takes us next!
Here’s to more journeys, More families and hopefully fewer flat tyres!
Until next time,
Jo and the Footprints 4 Sam team
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