Used to arranging bouquets for birthdays and weddings, the Adderley Street flower sellers are these days getting more requests for funerals, memorial flower arrangements, and condolence flowers as a consequence of the ravages of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Alison Snyders and her sister, Karin Bachmann, have been selling flowers for 40 years at the Adderley Street Flower Market. Snyders said that the current most frequent requests have been for flower arrangements for funerals and condolence baskets. Snyders and her sister were introduced to the market by their grandmother, who was also a flower seller. Snyders said the increase in the requests came following the move from adjusted level 4.
Faldiela Gamildien, a flower seller for over 10 years, was brought up in a family involved in the cut flower trade for almost 30 years. She said general requests were for funerals, weddings, birthday celebrations, and major holidays such as Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and Christmas.
Gamieldien said they were, however, seeing an increase in flower orders for funerals due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“It started to increase about three months after we were hit with the Covid-19 pandemic in South Africa, and up until now, it hasn’t really slowed down, to be honest.
Gairoeniesa Oliver, 42, has been selling flowers since the age of 14.
“This is a part of our heritage. I grew up selling flowers. Funerals have become the more popular request. We’re seeing lots of Covid-19 deaths every day.
“We are 14 people competing with one another, but everybody has a funeral every week – a couple of them.”
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