Durban found a hero when Ayakha Godlwana saved a life during the Delfi Fire. Now, the city is helping the family he rescued find their feet again, with a beautiful fundraising evening and renewed hope for the families future.
If you only have a minute, read this: Six weeks after a devastating fire destroyed Durban’s beloved Delfi Greek Taverna and the family home above it, the headlines may have faded, but the kindness certainly hasn’t. South Africans have rallied behind the family and the hero who saved a life, while a recent community fundraiser raised another R60,000. Now, the Teranes family is looking towards the future, hoping to rebuild Delfi and find a temporary kitchen to start serving their much-loved Greek food again. The fire may be out, but this beautiful story of community, generosity and hope is far from over.
Durban, South Africa (22 October 2026) – The news cycle is strange. One day, a story is everywhere. It dominates headlines, fills our social media feeds, captures the attention of an entire country and ends up being spoken about at the water cooler. And then, almost as quickly as it arrived, it begins to disappear.
Well, it doesn’t actually disappear. The news cycle is fast. I like to say that the news keeps “newsing”. So just as quickly as a story is a major headline… another one usually takes its place. The cameras turn elsewhere. And the people at the centre of it all are left to pick up the pieces.
On the 3rd of September, the devastating Delfi Greek Taverna fire became national news. South Africans watched in horror as the tragedy unfolded, then searched for a hero who emerged from the flames, found him, celebrated him, and opened their hearts and wallets to help those affected. But just as the flames were eventually extinguished, the attention surrounding the story began to fade too. The headlines slowed, the social media posts became fewer and the news cycle did what the news cycle always does… it moved on.
Except the Delfi story isn’t over. And six weeks later, we have another update. A really beautiful one.
The Delfi Fire And An Unexpected Hero
A devastating fire tore through the much-loved family-run restaurant in Durban’s Windermere neighbourhood on the 3rd of September, destroying the business and also the home above it, where the Teranes family had lived for 59 years. Maria, Doddy and Manuel Teranes lost almost everything but thankfully, their lives were spared. An extraordinary local chef named Ayakha Godlwana repeatedly braved the smoke-filled building to rescue 74-year-old Doddy from upstairs.
Good Things Guy helped launch the search for the mystery hero. Durban found him and South Africans rallied around both Ayakha and the family. Two crowdfunding campaigns followed, giving the country a way to thank the man who saved a life and support the family who had lost their home and livelihood. And that generosity has continued. The “A Hero Called Ayakha” campaign has now raised an incredible R73,846, exceeding its original R50,000 target, while “Delfi Will Rise From the Ashes!” has reached R115,521 towards its R300,000 goal. Together, South Africans have contributed more than R189,000 through the two campaigns.
But rebuilding a life, a home and a family business takes time, and the Teranes family still has a long road ahead.
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Durban Loves Delfi Fundraiser
Which brings us to Monday night, the 19th of October, when Durban reminded the family that they have certainly not been forgotten.
The Milkwood Theatre at Danville Park Girls’ High School came alive with music, comedy, magic and plenty of emotion as the community gathered for Durban Loves Delfi, a special fundraising evening organised by local non-profit Hello Poppy. Hosted by Jane Linley-Thomas and Paul Bushell, the event brought together some of Durban’s most loved performers, all of whom donated their time and talent to support the family. The award-winning Glitter Girls, Lisa Bobbert McIlroy, Liesl Coppin-Guselli and Marion Loudon, had the audience laughing before delivering an emotional rendition of “True Colours” dedicated to the Teranes family. Sixteen performers from the International School of Performing Arts brought musical theatre favourites to the stage, illusionist Mo Magic added a little wonder and comedian Rory Petzer ensured there was plenty of laughter too.
For Lisa Bobbert McIlroy, the evening was particularly personal.
“Nearly seven years ago my house burned down, so when Jane approached me to be involved I was so pleased, as it was a chance to give back,” she shared.
“I remember being completely overwhelmed with the love and generosity of the Durban community, and it was my chance to pay it forward.”
The generosity extended well beyond the performers. Danville Park Girls’ High School donated the theatre, local businesses helped with everything from sound equipment to ticketing and publicity and volunteers contributed their time to make the evening possible.
That incredible evening raised another R60,000 for the family!
Ayakha was even invited as a special guest, sitting in the front row alongside Maria, Doddy and Manuel, the very people whose lives changed forever on that September afternoon. The hero who had once disappeared from the scene of the fire was now being celebrated alongside the family he helped save.
At the end of the show, Maria and Doddy joined their nephew and family spokesperson, Pete Landzanakis, on stage, where he reflected on everything the family had lost.
“As a family, we also lost something more. We lost our family headquarters,” he told the audience. “The love within those walls started long before Delfi, and that place held generations of our family history.”
But he also had something important to say about the people who have stood beside them.
“And what a community it is. Durban certainly knows how to show up.”
Now, The Family is Beginning to Look Toward The Future.
Maria and Doddy are exploring ways to bring Delfi’s much-loved Greek dishes back to Durban tables, even before they have a permanent restaurant again. Their immediate hope is to find a suitable temporary kitchen or premises in the Morningside or Durban North area where they can start cooking, working and doing what they have loved doing for decades. The longer-term dream remains to rebuild Delfi, hopefully on its original site if circumstances allow, but for now, getting back into a kitchen would be an enormous step forward. Anyone who knows of a suitable space, or who might be able to help the family take that next step, is encouraged to contact them through the official Delfi Greek Taverna Facebook page. Supporters can also follow the page for updates as Maria and Doddy begin putting their plans into action.
And of course, the crowdfunding campaign remains open for anyone who would still like to contribute towards rebuilding the family’s future.
There is something incredibly important about returning to stories like this. At Good Things Guy, we have always believed that good news deserves to be told but we also believe that the people behind those stories deserve to be remembered long after the headlines have disappeared. The news cycle might move on, but recovery doesn’t happen according to a publishing schedule, and kindness shouldn’t have an expiry date.
Six weeks ago, Durban came together to find a hero. Then South Africans came together to thank him and help a family who had lost almost everything. And now, with another R60,000 raised, a room full of people celebrating the family and plans beginning to take shape for Delfi’s return, we are reminded that the good can continue long after the breaking news has ended.
The fire may be out. The headlines may have faded. But the story is far from over.
And if Durban has anything to do with it, there will be Greek food, familiar faces and many more memories made at Delfi again.
Now that will be the most beautiful next chapter. A really good thing!
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