Durban chef Ayakha Godlwana risked his life to save a woman trapped inside the burning Delfi Greek Taverna and now the kindness sparked by his actions is coming right back to him.
South Africa (05 September 2026) – For the past two days, South Africans have been saying the same thing about Ayakha Godlwana… this man deserves to be thanked. Now, someone has decided to give the country a way to do exactly that.
A crowdfunding campaign called “A Hero Called Ayakha” has been launched on BackaBuddy with a goal of R50,000, following the extraordinary rescue that turned the 32-year-old Durban chef into a national hero.
Ayakha was working at Palm Terrace Cafe, just a few properties away from Delfi Greek Taverna in Windermere, when the devastating fire broke out on Thursday, the 3rd of September. After learning that 74-year-old Doddy Teranes was trapped upstairs, he repeatedly attempted to enter the smoke-filled building despite having no formal firefighting training, eventually reaching her and getting her safely outside.
Good Things Guy first shared the story when nobody knew who the mystery rescuer was. Durban helped find him, and in the days since, we have learnt just how dangerous his rescue really was. Through it all, Ayakha has remained incredibly humble about what happened.
“I was happy to help and glad that nobody was injured,” he told Berea Mail.
Now, Zane Groenewald, Head of Growth & Strategic Partnerships at BackaBuddy, has launched a crowdfunding campaign in Ayakha’s honour, hoping to give South Africans an opportunity to recognise the man whose actions have touched so many. All the funds raised will go directly to Ayakha.
Speaking to Good Things Guy, Zane explained that Ayakha’s courage and selflessness were deeply inspiring to him, and living in Durban himself, he knew he had to do something.
“In a moment when someone desperately needed help, he stepped forward without hesitation and showed us the very best of humanity. What he did was truly heroic, and I hope this campaign gives people the opportunity to thank and celebrate him for it.”
There is also a separate crowdfunding campaign supporting the Teranes family, who lost their beloved Delfi restaurant, their home of 59 years and their possessions in the blaze. The “Delfi Will Rise From the Ashes” fund has already raised R27,000 towards the R300,000 goal.
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Every Child Deserves to Discover the Magic of Reading – Even in a Hospital RoomIt has been an extraordinary chain of kindness. A helper stepped forward when Doddy needed him, Durban rallied to find the hero, people began helping the Delfi family rebuild, and now South Africans have another opportunity to show their appreciation for the chef whose courage captured the country.
We wanted to find Ayakha so somebody could thank him. Now South Africa can.
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