When a Durban florist realised her customers were being redirected elsewhere online, she spoke from the heart… and South Africans responded with orders, encouragement and a collective decision to stand with her.
KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (23 February 2026) – Roxi Gordon wasn’t chasing attention, algorithms or headlines… she was sitting in her car, overwhelmed and frustrated, trying to process the realisation that her small flower shop was losing customers in a way that felt deeply unfair. What followed was not outrage or division, but something far more powerful: people choosing empathy, kindness and action.
Roxi runs ‘Flowers on Kensington‘ in Durban North alongside her mom, Gai. They had taken over the long-standing neighbourhood florist only a few months earlier, pouring heart, energy and every spare cent into keeping a small business alive during one of the busiest and most important trading periods (for a florist) of the year.
Valentine’s Day mattered. Every order mattered.
The week leading up to V-Day, a friend searched for Flowers on Kensington on Google, clicked what looked like the correct result and made a purchase… but the order never arrived at Roxi’s shop. Instead, it had gone to NetFlorist, whose paid Google advert appeared when Roxi’s business name was searched. The name “Flowers on Kensington” showed up but the URL led somewhere else. Roxi was heartbroken when she heard the news. The florist filmed a short TikTok, speaking honestly through tears about what it felt like to put everything into a small business, only to feel edged out by forces far bigger than you. She had around 100 followers at the time. She wasn’t trying to go viral; she was just being human.
@flowers.on.kensington help me… fuck them… never mind me crying in the middle of this video… I’ll be okay 👍 #ValentinesDay #SupportLocal #Flowers #Roses #netflorist @NetFlorist South Africa ♬ original sound – Flowers on Kensington®️
What happened next surprised everyone, including Roxi herself.
“I’ve now been called ‘the girl from the TikTok video’ and I’m not upset about it,” she laughed later.
“Jokes aside, it was really a surreal experience. I couldn’t understand why. I mean, I know why… but more so… why me? What made me so special? And the truth is I’m not. I was just having a little vent in my car. But I think what hit me the most was the phenomenon of feedback, support and love I received in return. The kindness and generosity deeply humbled me. I am truly blessed.”
Strangers didn’t just comment or share, they acted. Orders started coming in. Then more. Then hundreds. People phoned the shop directly. Others placed orders online just to show support. One even came through from Switzerland.
“What surprised me the most was when people started ordering flowers online for me. And not just one. A few people did it. Others phoned and ordered flowers by the hundreds (literally). And I was so moved by how good the hearts of South Africans are… and the people of the world, coz this has gone beyond South Africa. I had an order all the way from Switzerland yesterday!!!!”
It became something bigger than flowers. It became a reminder of why small businesses matter, not only for jobs and local economies, but for connection, care and community.
“I love the creative side of building a business from an entrepreneur point of view. Big or small,” Roxi explained.
“Spar is a big corporate company, which South Africans love and support daily. But so is the little spaza shop providing the same service. I think they both have an important part to play in society. At the end of the day, there is still a human who makes all the decisions. And humans all need to be treated with kindness and respect. Big or small, we all trying our best…”
Importantly, Roxi never asked for anger to be directed at anyone. In fact, she did the opposite. As emotions ran high online, she urged people not to attack or leave negative reviews unless they had personally experienced poor service.
“Why would I want to spread negativity… yuk… I don’t want to attract that kind of attention. I never wanted to take them out as a company. I just wanted them to stop using my business name in their advertising. And now, after seeing the comments, I hope they continue to stop using mine and other florists’ business names in their advertising.”
Following the viral moment, NetFlorist confirmed to Wendy Knowler in a News24 interview that they had added “negative keywords” to ensure that “Flowers on Kensington” would no longer be used in their Google advertising, while they investigated how it happened. The practical issue was addressed but the bigger impact had already landed.
When I visited Roxi and her mom at the shop and paid for the bouquet I’d promised to buy, plus one for a local charity, the energy was different. Busy, absolutely. But lifted, supported and seen.
Looking back now, Roxi hopes other small business owners take courage from what unfolded.
“The support is out there. Sometimes it comes from a place you least expect,” she said.
“Keep persevering, keep trying your best, keep showing up, keep thinking out of the box, and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Be bold. Show how different or unique you are from the next business. Remember: people buy from people. Especially if it’s such a personal product. In a world of technology, we need to keep the human touch.”
And because gratitude is best expressed through action, Roxi decided to give all that kindness back to the community that supported her.
“There is no way to thank the community for the outpouring of love and support, so I’ve decided we will be doing a 10% off all website orders for the next three months!!!!! 10% off till the 10th of May, which is Mother’s Day!!! And the discount code is my business initials with the number 10, yes, that’s FOK10,” she said with a cheeky smile.
And that is the heart of this story… kindness and community. A moment of frustration turned into a movement of support. One honest video sparked a conversation about fairness, ethics and humanity in business. And a small flower shop in Durban North reminded a whole country, and far beyond, that when people choose to be good, really good things can grow.
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