Take a dash of optimism. Blend for a second with a positive outlook. Season with good humour – and you have Good Things Guy (and Come Dine With Me contestant) Brent Lindeque’s recipe for success
Brent Lindeque might be best known for spreading sunshine on his platform, Good Things Guy, but to his friends, he’s the charming and charismatic host of Club Med Dainfern, as he fondly names the gatherings that take place almost weekly at his home. Now, he’s bringing the same flair for entertaining to the eleventh season of Come Dine With Me South Africa, as one of the celebrity contestants.
This isn’t the first time Brent has wielded a wooden spoon on TV. Back in 2017, he and his husband, Andrew, took part in My Kitchen Rules – an experience that, on one occasion, left Brent “sobbing in the back of my Uber.” “At that point, Andrew said to me, ‘Just think – not everyone gets to have an opportunity like this. You have to grab it. You have to make your life an adventure.’”
Those who know him – in both his private capacity and as South Africa’s ‘Minister of Happiness’ (apologies to Gayton McKenzie, but it’s Brent who has us finding those silver linings) – would agree that he has certainly lived up to the challenge.
He candidly admits that, during his days as an entrepreneur (he founded a brand activation and advertising agency, which still exists today), he had no idea that he would come to head a team of five journalists, plus an entire support crew, that shares glass-more-than-half-full headlines to more than 35 million South Africans every month. In fact, the Good Things Guy platform came about by accident,. after Brent declined a nomination to take part in the YouTube-famous neknomination challenge back in 2014. “It’s easy to drink, right?” he quips – but far more difficult to do something that has real meaning. That’s why he asked a friend to film him handing over a chocolate bar to someone in need. It was the very first video Brent uploaded to YouTube, and it went viral, grabbing the attention not only of local media channels but also the likes of CNN and the BBC and, ultimately, sparking the Random Acts of Kindness nomination challenge as people around the world wanted to get in on the move to magnanimousness.
From there, Brent was offered a slot on Mix FM, then CNBC, joining Gareth Cliff’s podcast on Cliff Central a few years later before featuring on Jacaranda FM and finally starting his own podcast. But, he says, podcasts weren’t as popular then as they are today. Brent knew that if he wanted his good news stories to reach more people, he had to extend his platform … hence the launch of Goodthingsguy.com on August 1 2015. “I had one reader. My mom! Then she shared the story with my dad, and my followers doubled every day since then!” he jokes.
He’s not joking any more. Originally aiming to find, and share, just one good thing every day, his team of journalists, account managers, website designers and other professionals now posts around 22 articles daily.
The habit of seeking out happiness has markedly affected Brent’s life. “It’s completely changed my perspective, not only on South Africa, but on the world generally. It’s not that I hide from challenges. I know that we have a lot of issues in our country. But two things can be true at once. We can be broken and beautiful at the same time.”
Good Things Guy has impacted others, equally. Brent says that he is surprised by the feedback he receives. One of the most memorable interactions he’s had is with a teacher who included the platform in his high school lesson plan, because he wanted to show his learners that it is always possible to make a difference.
Clearly, then, Brent has a knack for nation building – but how is he in the kitchen? That, after all, is what his fellow contestants on Come Dine With Me want to know. “I cook, but I wouldn’t say I’m passionate about it. The pressure gets to me too much. I feel like there’s so much at stake when you cook – you’re putting your whole heart on a plate!”
Never has he felt this more than when he and Andrew decided to make their own pasta for a party of 20. “I was sweating!” he admits. “I recently took a pasta-making course in Italy, and the nonnas make it look so easy when, really, a lot goes into it.”
That’s why he prefers baking. There’s a magic to the science, Brent says, and he finds the process highly therapeutic. “That’s really important to me. Yes, my job is all about sharing the good news, but at the same time I receive a lot of mail from people looking to raise funds for worthy causes. It can break your heart. That’s why spending time with friends and family is so important to me. I have to keep filling my cup.”
Catch Brent in Celebrity Come Dine With Me South Africa, premiering 18 November 2026 on BBC Lifestyle (DStv Channel 174).
Brent’s guide to become a good things guy (or girl)
Actively look for good things. They’re happening all around you, all the time – and the more you notice, the more you’ll see.
Celebrate them! Brent says that when he started goodthingsguy.com, he aimed to “balance the South African narrative” by showing that we didn’t have to keep telling sad stories. He found that the more people read about good news, the more they were inspired to find their own happy stories.
Make your own good news. Do something that helps others. And here’s the challenge – keep it to yourself!
Details: goodthingsguy.com
Text: LISA WITEPSKI.
Come dine with Brent
Mushroom, ricotta and gorgonzola tortellini with a burnt butter and sage sauce
For the pasta, you’ll need:
360g flour, 4 eggs, 2 egg yolks, salt & pepper, olive oil
For the filling, you’ll need:
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 clove garlic, chopped, 100g fresh mushrooms, finely chopped (strong flavour such as shiitake, portobello etc.), 125g ricotta cheese,125g gorgonzola cheese
2 Tbsp freshly chopped flatleaf parsley, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, 1 egg (beaten)
For the sauce, you’ll need:
8 Tbsp unsalted butter cut into equal cubes, 18 large fresh sage leaves, 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest, pinch of salt, pinch of ground pepper
To make the pasta dough:
Place the flour in a large bowl and form a well in the centre. Add the eggs, olive oil, salt and pepper; mix to form a dough. You’ll want a dough that’s not too sticky or too dry. Knead the dough for about 15 minutes by hand (or machine). Cover and let it rest for at least 20 minutes.
To make the ravioli filling:
Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat; add garlic and cook until softened and golden. Stir in the mushrooms and cook for another few minutes. Season with salt, pepper and parsley.
Place ricotta cheese in a blender or food processor; add the mushroom mixture and blend to a rough paste. Crumb the Gorgonzola over the mixture and stir through by hand, ensuring the blue cheese texture can be felt.
To fill the ravioli:
Roll out the dough using a pasta machine. We use this sneaky tip on all our pasta dough. Take a ball of dough slightly larger than an egg in the palm of your hand, roll roughly and coat lightly with flour. Roll through your pasta machine at its widest setting 5 times. Then reduce the size of the pasta machine by one notch and roll again. Repeat until the desired thickness – for filled pasta we don’t go much thinner than 3 notches from the thinnest pasta.
Spoon a small portion of the filling on top of the dough, making sure you place the filling close to one side and not exactly in the middle.
Lightly brush the ends of the dough with beaten egg and pull the other half over to form the ravioli pouch. Slice into portions. Press the edges down with a fork to seal the filling inside, but don’t press too hard or you will break the dough. Cook the ravioli in boiling salted water. They will rise to the top when ready. Serve with the sauce of your choice. Fresh pasta cooks in 90 secs to 2 mins, so watch carefully.
To make the sauce:
Heat a skillet or non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat and add the butter. When the butter has almost completely melted, stir in the sage leaves. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter turns a light brown colour (be careful not to let it burn) and the sage leaves darken and crisp up slightly.
It should take no longer than 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and spoon over the cooked pasta pockets. Garnish with ground black pepper and serve immediately.
Crunchy salt & vinegar chickpeas
You’ll need:
1 can rinsed and drained chickpeas, 2 cups white vinegar, sea salt, olive oil
To make:
Alright, let’s make these chickpeas dance with flavour! First up, pop those chickpeas into a pot with some vinegar and a pinch of salt. Give them a quick boil, then let them chill in the warm vinegar spa for 40 minutes. Trust me, they’ll love it!
Now, heat your oven to 180°C.
Time’s up? Great! Drain your chickpeas, but don’t throw away that tasty vinegar – keep it for your next chickpea party.
Spread your chickpeas on a baking tray that’s oven-friendly. Drizzle them with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle some salt on top (add a sprinkle of pepper, chilli, or garlic powder if you fancy a twist).
Pop them in the oven and let them party for 35-40 minutes.
But don’t forget to give them a little stir every – 10 minutes they want to be golden, not burnt. Once they look all toasty and ready, take them out and let them cool for 10 minutes.
Now, you’ve got yourself some crunchy, golden chickpea snacks. Enjoy!
Tip: An air fryer can be used – remove the oven “step” – and place it into the air fryer for 15 to 20 minutes!
