‘Streets of Ladysmith’ creator wants to use fame to clean up town
The video shows human faeces and rubbish scattered along the bridge.
Ladysmith content creator Samie Fortune has become internet-famous for his ‘Streets of Ladysmith’ videos, amassing more than 82,000 followers on Facebook alone.
With only an iPhone
Using his iPhone, he has shone a spotlight on Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal, like no other. A hallmark of his videos is showcasing the sights and sounds of the town. These clips have become his signature style, with thousands of followers engaging with his visual storytelling.
Samie has been actively posting on Facebook since 2017, but it was only a few years ago that one particular photo changed everything. The image, taken in Murchison Street, unexpectedly went viral.
“For some reason, the guy I photographed asked if he would be on the ‘Streets of Ladysmith’ and that’s what I called the photo,” says Samie. “It went viral and the next thing I knew, everyone was talking about it.”
From then on, he began labelling all his videos with the ‘Streets of Ladysmith’ moniker… And the rest, as they say, is history.
With an almost cult-like following, Samie has helped showcase the beauty of Ladysmith. However, while reading comments on one of his posts, a follower accused him of glossing over the seedier parts of town.
Challenge
Taking up the challenge, Samie visited an area pointed out by one of his followers and was shocked by the state of the surroundings.
That moment inspired him to launch a campaign to help clean up the town. Aptly named ‘Clean Streets of Ladysmith’, the initiative sees him joining forces with local businesses and the Ladysmith Gazette. The plan is to clean up areas highlighted in his videos.
Focus on bridge
The first focus area is the bridge across Lyell Street, situated between the taxi rank and Boxer Supermarket. In a recent video, Samie shows human faeces and rubbish scattered along the bridge, highlighting what appears to be poor maintenance.
The footage also suggests that the multi-million-rand bridge is hardly used by pedestrians at all. Through his social platform, Samie was able to gather the community to engage and find out their personal views on how the bridge can be better utilised.
Message from Samie
Ladies and gentlemen, the date is out: May 9, 2026. From 10am, we begin! Kindly share this post too so that we can encourage at least 250 people to volunteer. All PPE’s and resources will be provided at the meet-up point that will be shared on the group .
A big shout-out to each and every one of you who has shown consistent support and volunteered their time… And to our partnered businesses that have shown how they really REALLY care about us and our town. Please help me show gratitude.
Several prominent local businesses have committed to being involved on the day. To name but a few: Mark’s Tyres, Ladysmith TFS, NTT and of course, the Ladysmith Gazette. Many more are expected to join us on the day. These are the kinds of businesses that deserve our support. Let’s all refer our family, friends and colleagues to these businesses. We are going to achieve many more and greater milestones!
#CleanstreetsofLadysmith
@ladysmith.gazette2 @Samie Fortune150 #fyp #LadysmithGazette
Click to receive news links via WhatsApp. Or for the latest news, visit our webpage or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Join us there!
