The cameras have stopped rolling, the vows have been exchanged, and the dust has settled on the latest season of "Married At First Sight Mzansi."
The four couples who took the plunge, entering into marriage with complete strangers, have now revealed their decisions: three couples are staying together, while one couple has decided to go their separate ways.
The show, which aired on Mzansi Magic, saw the couples meet at the altar, exchanging vows without ever having laid eyes on each other before. After weeks of navigating the challenges and joys of married life, the couples faced the ultimate decision: to stay together or to walk away.
Boitshepo Mashetla (28) and Sebenzile Ngwenya (32) have decided to stay together, despite Sebenzile's initial uncertainty.
"I can’t say I have regrets. When I walked in there, I was nervous. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. My dad told me he thinks I don’t see myself the way they see me," Boitshepo told Daily Sun.
Boitshepo continued, "He then advised me to remain true to myself. I should be me and not let the cameras change me. With that being said, I took the words my dad left me with and I can’t say I regret anything. I showed up the best way I could."
Sebenzile, who initially appeared hesitant about the relationship, explained his perspective: "I had already made up my mind. When I went to the ceremony, I was just going through the emotions, thinking that I was ready to continue with the marriage. At the end of the day, there will be fear in whatever you do. I hadn’t lived with anyone or been married before, so of course it was a bit scary and that showed that I cared."
However, not all couples found their happily ever after. Makhumo Ngobeni (25) and Thabang Mvuyane (27) have decided to go their separate ways, citing infidelity as the reason for their split.
"I got to learn more about myself. There were things that I thought I had hashed out in the past. I was able to navigate around them in this marriage. I saw myself in a different light, especially with someone I didn’t know. It was amazing, especially when it came to self-awareness," said Thabang as he reflected on his experience.
Makhumo, on the other hand, expressed some regrets about her journey: "The regret I had was firstly not fully opening myself up to the experiment because I was afraid the next person would not be as open. Seeing his conversations with his friends, I realised what hindered me was my own fear. If I could’ve done anything better, I could’ve given myself over to him more. We did the best we could and rolled the wave the best way we knew how."
The couple's decision to separate was made during the recommitment ceremony, where they had to choose whether they were divorcing or not. During the ceremony, accusations of infidelity were exchanged.
"We haven’t watched that episode yet," Makhumo said, referring to the recommitment ceremony.
"We chose not to watch it. We were there, we know what happened. More than anything, the biggest lesson we got after speaking things over, some chapters are better left closed. When you close a chapter make it known that it's closed. I’ve never had any messy break-ups like that. I left a portal open which gave room for destruction to come in. I closed that door and made sure I protected my new marriage and home."
While the "Married At First Sight Mzansi" journey has come to an end for these couples, the show has offered a glimpse into the complexities of love, marriage, and the challenges of navigating a relationship with a complete stranger.
