A waitress at the popular Beerhouse in Cape Town saw her life change in an instant when she received an R18 680 tip from a patron, allowing her to return to school and complete her matric.
The waitress, identified only as "Ayanda" on the Beerhouse website, immediately called the manager on duty to talk the patron out of it – but the patron just said that Ayanda deserved every last bit of that money.
The patron's bill came to R1 320, which she generously rounded up to R20 000, leaving Ayanda with a whopping tip of R18 680. It seems at first glance she may have accidentally added an extra zero at the end, but this was no mistake.
In a Whatsapp conversation with Beerhouse owner Randolf Jorberg, the donor – who wants to remain anonymous – said she meant every cent of the tip.
"I have no want to reverse this, no second thoughts about it and I was of sound mind when deciding to leave this tip," she said.
Ayanda and the "Top Tipper" connected over Whatsapp, and an incredible, heart-warming conversation followed.
"Promise me you'll use that money for good!" the patron wrote. "I left it for you because I believe in you, I want you to succeed! Go study, be a badass woman, and when you make it, promise me you'll remember this and help the next person."
Ayanda responded with gratitude and enthusiasm.
"Thank you so much my darling, I will use the money wisely I promise," she said. "I will go to school as you said to fulfil my dreams. You came to me as a messenger from God, that will help me to study and make my dreams become true."
According to the Beerhouse website, Ayanda had to leave school early and start working in order to make money for her family. Her parents divorced when she was just 8 months old, leaving her family in a tough financial position, and she wasn't able to complete matric.
Now, thanks to the tip of a lifetime, she has the chance to return to her studies.
"Ayanda plans to attend a school (near her home) where she can attend night classes so that she may complete her matric," the Beerhouse website says.
"She has also expressed an interested in becoming a paramedic. In the meantime, she has already started the process of getting her driver's licence."
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