Meet the Stellenbosch med student who went viral selling fruit parcels for a stethoscope

“I recently started selling fruits so I can save enough money to buy a stethoscope.” I stopped mid-scroll and listened.

There are TikTok videos you scroll past, and then there are the ones that stop you cold, the kind that make you smile through tears because they remind you of who we are as South Africans. The messy, generous, “We've got you” kind of country.

Enrico Angelo, a Stellenbosch medical student, recently took to TikTok to share his heartfelt journey. In the video, which quickly captured the hearts of thousands, he revealed how he started selling fresh fruit packages to save enough money to buy a stethoscope, a vital tool for his medical studies.

The fruit bundle, priced at R120, included a punnet of grapes, cling peaches, plums, a mango, and a pineapple. It wasn’t just about selling fruit; it was about a dream that he refused to let financial barriers crush.

The TikTok post, shared under the username @Enrico_Angelo, resonated deeply with South Africans nationwide. Comments poured in, shares multiplied, and the beauty of Ubuntu, the African philosophy of shared humanity, came alive.

In his video, Angelo stands with quiet determination. You can almost feel the weight he carries, not just the cost of medical school, but also the pressure many young people feel when what they want seems out of reach.

“Baie dankie julle twee,” Enrico said, his voice filled with gratitude in a follow-up video that has since racked up over 120 thousand views. He was thanking two women whose kindness had changed his life in a matter of days.

After his TikTok post went viral. A good Samaritan, Miss Juanita Diamond, slid into his DMs. She told him about a woman on campus named Zulfa, who had a brand-new stethoscope that was gifted to her, with the freedom to sell it or pass it along to someone who needed it more.

“I was baffled,” Angelo said, recalling the moment he learned about the unexpected gift. “On Monday, the post went out. By Thursday, I was picking up my stethoscope at the campus bookstore.”

But that wasn’t all. Along with the stethoscope, Zulfa also gifted him a dissection kit, another crucial tool for his studies.

This is the part that broke me (in the good way).

“Now, I can use the money I raised to buy an extra pair of scrubs. I only have one pair, and it’s been difficult juggling with just that.” 

Because he only owns one pair, keeping up with washing, drying, studying, and medical rotations is tough.

The most heart-warming moment came when SA’s future doctor demonstrated his stethoscope for the first time. “I can hear my heartbeat,” he laughed, placing it around his neck. “It feels weird hearing your own heart, but it’s amazing.”

He listens again, amazed. You can see that flicker of belief: I’m really going to be a doctor.

And TikTok felt it too.

The comments section became a love letter to him and to young people who dare to dream despite everything.

The response on social media was nothing short of heartwarming. Comments highlighted not only support for Angelo but pride in his determination and gratitude for the reminder of what it means to uplift one another.

“Destiny helpers will always find you,” one commenter wrote. “Your light is shining bright.” Another added, “Seeing you with that stethoscope around your neck makes me so proud. Please don’t give up on your dreams. You’ll reach great heights.”

@Zoelfaallie wrote, “Please do not give up on your dreams. You will reach great heights. I believe in you.”

@Tapin1.ff added, “Seeing you with that stethoscope makes me so proud of you, coloured kind.”

We live in a country where so many talented young people are one resource away from thriving. One bursary away. One opportunity away. One kind stranger away.

Because in him, I see so many young South Africans hustling with dignity, carving out a future in spite of the odds. I see our collective softness, even in a world that sometimes feels unbearably hard.

South Africa’s future doctor showed us something important: a reflection of the everyday struggles many face and the extraordinary resilience they show in overcoming them.

The power of social media to connect people, the importance of community in lifting one another, and the belief that no dream is too big when shared by many.

By the way, he passed his first year as a medicine student.