Only one couple left the recommitment ceremony still married. Here's who stayed, who walked away and how viewers reacted.
Two months, one proposal and a plot twist: Who survived the ‘Married At First Sight Mzansi’ Season 3 recommitment ceremony? Pictures: Screesnhots, @mzansimagic
After roughly two months of marriage, the final recommitment ceremony of Married at First Sight Mzansi Season 3 delivered heartbreak, honesty and one very public re-proposal.
Episode 13 saw the remaining couples decide whether to stay married or walk away. And ultimately, only one pair left still wed.
The only couple standing
Prince Masuku, 36, and Esethu Seku, 32, recommitted, and they did it under a cloud of contention as fans called for their split all season.
Prince arrived at the commitment ceremony with a bouquet and delivered an emotional speech acknowledging how difficult their journey had been, and how much Esethu’s support had meant to him.
Then he got down on one knee and proposed to her again. She said yes. It made them the only couple to stay together, and technically the only ones to leave the ceremony re-engaged.
A mutual, clear-eyed exit
Hlulani Ngobeni, 27, and Nompumelelo Sobopha, 24, both chose not to recommit, finally ending a tumultuous marriage.
Hlulani cited lost trust, a lack of emotional safety and the absence of a genuine connection while Nompumelelo also declined citing a lack of honesty and clarity throughout the season.
The shock of the night
The moment that had Married at First Sight Mzansi viewers across South Africa talking belonged to Lesiba Tleane, 34, and Matshediso Maphutse, 36.
Lesiba wanted to recommit and spoke warmly about meeting Matshediso through the experience and, after all that, Matshediso still said no.
She explained that after the couples left the shared apartments, she felt abandoned for about two weeks, with minimal contact between them.
She couldn’t, she said, step into a future where the two of them might become strangers again once the cameras were gone. Ultimately she wished him well through tears.
It landed hard because the pair had appeared to be among the stronger couples after a rocky start. A fourth pairing, Obren and Laurinda, had already ended earlier in the season.
Viewers weigh in
Reaction online has been mixed, but largely understanding of the exits, with pockets of real surprise.
Many Married at First Sight Mzansi viewers praised Matshediso for knowing her worth and refusing to settle for a partner they felt was more focused on friends and socialising, and quiet once the cameras stopped.
Others were careful to say Lesiba isn’t a “bad guy” and may simply not have been ready for marriage.
Some admitted to being heartbroken for him, or noted that the couple looked happier on screen than the outcome suggested.
Hlulani and Nompumelelo’s mutual decision drew support for choosing honesty and choosing themselves after earlier drama and pettiness.
Prince and Esethu’s outcome was the most polarising.
Some found the recommitment and proposal sweet, and rooted for them after the therapy and fights while a large majority of the viewing audience questioned whether Esethu was settling, given how volatile the couple had been earlier in the season.
More broadly, season-long chatter included frustration with the Married at First Sight Mzansi experts’ matching, perceptions of clashing personalities and fame-seeking, and calls for better pairings.
Still, the ceremony itself was widely seen as delivering both closure and drama.
What’s next
As of late September 2026, no air date has been announced for the Married at First Sight Mzansi Season 3 reunion.
If it follows the usual pattern, expect a special, multi-hour episode where the cast unpack the season’s drama, confront unresolved issues, share post-filming updates and reveal where their relationships stand now.
The season 2 reunion was hosted by TV presenter, actress and singer Relebogile Mabotja, in a two-hour special that aired in early October 2025.
For season 3, viewers can expect to see actor Lerato Mvelase in the hot seat, leading reunion proceedings.
