Everything you need to know about the newest MAFS Mzansi couples - plus why Prince had people talking long before the show began.
Obren and Laurinda made the transition from strangers to husband and wife on episode 2 of ‘Married At First Sight Mzansi’ S3. Pictures: Composite, Instagram, @connect_tv
Season 3 of Married At First Sight Mzansi kept the drama, the tears and the leaps of faith coming this week, with episode 2 introducing two more couples who married complete strangers on national television.
The episode, which aired on Mzansi Magic on Sunday, saw Obren Motswane (who goes by Obren Msuku online) and Laurinda Mabunda, as well as firefighter Prince Zwide Zwane and entrepreneur Esethu Seku, become the third and fourth couples of the season to walk down the aisle without ever having met.
Sealing instant chemistry with heartfelt vows
Creative entrepreneur Obren, a father of three – two sons and a late daughter who died in infancy – was matched with economist and researcher Laurinda Mabunda for this season’s third wedding.
The pair delivered heartfelt vows at the altar, and their families later confirmed that each of them was exactly the other’s “type”, even before they’d laid eyes on one another. Viewer reaction to the match has been largely positive, with many praising the visible chemistry between the newlyweds.
Not everyone was won over immediately, though.
Both mothers reportedly took issue with the union, for different reasons. Laurinda’s mother struggled with how sudden the marriage was, feeling her family hadn’t had time to come to terms with it, while a comment from Obren’s mother about beauty not being an indicator of character rubbed several viewers up the wrong way online.
Prince and Esethu become Mr and Mrs Masuku
The episode’s second wedding saw firefighter Prince Zwide Zwane matched with entrepreneur and mother Esethu Seku. Prince used his vows to make a heartfelt promise of forever to his new bride, and the pair officially became Mr and Mrs Masuku.
While Prince’s looks were a talking point among viewers, so too was some scepticism about “player vibes” – a wariness that seems to trace back to how he was first introduced to Mzansi audiences.
Why Prince was already a talking point before the wedding
Prince wasn’t a stranger to online chatter even before Sunday’s episode.
When MultiChoice unveiled the Season 3 line-up, Prince quickly became one of the most talked-about new faces.
Several TV-lovers noted that Prince had been on TV before across several dating-themed shows. This fuelled fan comments that he was a “serial reality TV” participant chasing fame/clout rather than genuine love.
Social media posts (especially on TikTok) alleged he was already married with one woman making unverified claims that she was his wife.
These two weddings followed Episode 1’s introductions of Lesiba Tleane and Matshediso Maphutse, whose honeymoon showed early promise, and Hlulani Ngobeni and Nompumelelo Sobopha, a pairing many viewers have already dubbed the season’s most “relatable” or “homely” match.
With all four couples now married, Married At First Sight Mzansi Season 3 moves into its next phase – honeymoons, home life and the relationship tests that inevitably follow.
