Does it feel like everyone you know is getting married at the moment? These shows will keep any singleton company all through the summer wedding season in South Africa, and serve as very entertaining reminders that most dates are, let’s face it, completely awful.
M-Net’s local and lekker original dating show puts the power in the hands of the people who know you best – your family and friends. Three chosen confidantes get to sift through the profiles of potential partners on their loved one’s behalf to select what they think is the ideal match. Hosted by funnyman Rob van Vuuren, it’s the ultimate in family-friendly dating fun. Sundays on M-Net (101) at 18:00.
From deep breaths to liquid courage – viewers have a first-row seat in the South African First Dates restaurant as a whole cast of hopeful local singletons sit down to meet potential love interests over blind dates. Whether they suffer spectacular strikeouts or manage to strike it lucky – the cameras are there for every cringe-worthy, heart-fluttering moment. Wednesdays on BBC Lifestyle (174) at 20:00.
Not only can fans look forward to Love Island UK airing twice during the year from 2020 onwards, creators have also dished that the season aired during Europe’s cold winter months, will be filmed in sunny South Africa! The entire first three seasons of the UK series, as well as the first Australian series, is available on Showmax.
Some couples decide to go to therapy when their relationship is floundering. Others just decide to tempt fate in front of millions of viewers. In this sexy reboot of the franchise, four couples sign up to split up and spend a month in the company of some hot singles in order to test their commitment to their relationship. Set in two sumptuous villas in Hawaii, the show is high on drama, as well as eye candy. Thursdays on 1Magic (103) at 20:30.
Let’s be honest: we’ve all had a crush on someone and it seemed that we’d never tell. This fan-favourite show (meaning ‘Do you love me?’), sets out to change all that by uniting a crusher with a would-be lover to see if sparks can fly, and we’re so there for the drama, the dinner, and the delightful (sometimes awkward) declarations! Seasons 1 to 3 are on Showmax and Season 4 is on DStv Now – Wednesdays on Mzansi Magic (161) at 20:00.
kykNET’s evergreen dating show travels the length and breadth of our beautiful country to bring hardworking but lonely farmers a chance to also find someone special to share their lives with. Out of 10 hopefuls, the five who receive the most letters of would-be love interests get to go meet the 10 individuals who they feel most drawn to – and could maybe even share their lives with. Hosted by the bubbly SA singer Leah, seasons 7 to 12 are available on Showmax, and new episodes air on both Showmax and DStv Now – Thursdays on kykNET (144) at 20:00.
Whether they are tying the knot for the very first time or renewing their vows after years of marriage, couples create their checklist for their perfect wedding, and then the crew set out to make their dreams come true. Featuring heart-warming, real-life couples, the popular series proves that South Africans love a good wedding! Addicted to reality weddings? Catch seasons 1 to 5 of Our Perfect Wedding on Showmax, with new episodes of Season 9 landing on DStv Now.
How much do you trust your family? Enough to choose your new partner? After visiting and getting to know three families, hopefuls choose to meet a potential partner based on the impression they gained from these loved-ones. It’s almost never smooth sailing for either of the parties involved and making that love connection is hard enough without dealing with a disapproving mother-in-law or a patronising father-in-law. And that’s before you’ve even gone on your first date! Binge-watch from the beginning on Showmax and catch new episodes of Season 7 on DStv Now.
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Kwakuhle Kwethu: Dineo and Solo’s wedding: Showmax
Dineo and Zothile Langa aka Solo invites the rest of Mzansi to their journey into matrimony. Considered to be relatively private about their relationship, this glimpse into their love life is precisely the content many of their supporters signed up for. The couple has been dating for seven years, and their long-term relationship is now encapsulated in this wedding special. The cherry on top of the cake is when Solo wrote a song about their love and made their wedding day as the official music video for the song.
Bachelor SA S2: DStv Now – coming soon
No respectable list of reality dating shows would be complete without the original guilty pleasure, reality hook-up vehicle – The Bachelor. Twenty-nineteen saw SA’s first season of the international smash hit series, and M-Net has just recently announced that hunky Marc Buckner will be handing out those sought-after red roses in Season 2, set to start in February 2020. In the meantime, Bachelor addicts can get their fix by bingeing the entire first season on Showmax.
