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Former Springbok hooker Naka Drotské gave his friends the thumbs up from his hospital bed after surviving an ambush by armed men at his smallholding outside Pretoria.
"He's in a stable condition and smiling and giving a thumbs up on a fotie [photo]," said a relieved Theron.
"He was up on his feet for a couple of minutes."
He is receiving updates from Drotské's wife Marzanne who is the only person allowed to be with him to reduce the risk of infection.
The former Springbok and Cheetahs player is under intensive care in hospital and is waiting to have a bullet removed from his arm.
He is also receiving blood transfusions to compensate for his profuse bleeding after the attack.
Theron said Drotské's wife sounds a bit more cheerful after the emotional time she had been through.
"Today she's talking about a hero," said Theron.
"He fought the fight of his life."
READ: 'Naka charged suspects, rugby tackling them' – brother of former Springbok
Drotské's friend Os (Ox) Durandt, who escaped serious injury was also doing better, but did not like being in the spotlight.
Tinus Drotské said his brother Naka and Os were at their smallholding in Kameeldrift along with Tinus' girlfriend, Nadia Jooste, and three children when the attack occurred.
News24 reported that Drotské had just returned from doing the airport run, and the family and friends were about to have dinner when four men in balaclavas descended on them.
Tinus said that all the suspects were armed with 9mm hand guns, and that, as they entered the house, the sprayed tear gas into the room where he, Drotské, Du Randt and Jooste were sitting.
"Nadia was at the other door to close it, she froze, so I stood up and thought they were going to shoot because they had these 9mms in our faces, so I stood over her to protect her.
"The next moment Naka charged the suspects, rugby tackling them out of the house, over the tables outside."
Tinus explained that as Drotské tackled all four suspects, getting the armed intruders away from his family, they opened fire on Drotské, hitting him three times. As the shots were fired, Du Randt ran outside, but the suspects had already fled by then.
In the meantime, police Captain Kay Makhubele said the two people who had been taken in for questioning had been released.
"No arrests yet," he said, adding that police are following up on leads.
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