Will Marléne win Hennie’s heart?

TONIGHT (Thursday), Vryheiders wait in anticipation to see if local lass, Marléne Beän, will make it into the next round of ‘n Boer Soek ‘n Vrou.

Marléne has been a Vryheid resident all her life, having matriculated at Pionier High School and returning to Vryheid to open her own business after graduating with a BSc in Consumer Science from the University of Potchefstroom. Among her greatest accomplishments is running her first Comrades Marathon this year.

The dynamic and ambitious young woman is currently one of three women chosen to go to the next round by Boer Hennie on the popular South African television show in which farmers seek love.

Asked what motivated her to enter the show, Marléne said simply, “Vryheid is a small town and there aren’t a lot of opportunities to meet new people.”

“In the beginning there are ten farmers. Each one says a little about himself, and then women write a letter to the one they like. I liked Hennie because he seemed to be an adventurous and sociable person, like me. There are specific questions you have to answer in the letter like: What do you want in a man? And, what is your ideal romantic getaway?” said Marléne, explaining how the show works.

“I used a Bible verse to describe my ideal man because I wanted Hennie to see that I have good Christian values and to know that this is a quality I look for in a potential partner as well. When it came to my romantic getaway, I feel that any place can be romantic as long as you are with the perfect person.”

The five farmers, who receive the most letters, got to appear on the television show. Each of the five farmers then selected 10 women he would like to meet based on the hundreds of letters he has received.

“The 10 of us, who wrote to Hennie travelled to Cape Town, where we each spent five minutes with him. It’s like speed dating. From there, each farmer chooses five girls he might like to get to know better,” continued Marléne.

“As one of the five selected by Hennie, I had the opportunity to spend a day at the trampoline park with him. It was one of the most memorable moments I have had on the show. The five of us, and Hennie, enjoyed doing somersaults and we had so much fun, we actually laughed until we cried.”

Following the day at the trampoline park, two more women were sent home and Hennie had narrowed down his search for love to three women, including Marléne.

Tonight, one more woman will be eliminated, and next week Hennie will decide which of the two remaining women is his ideal partner.

While filming for this season of ‘n Boer Soek ‘n Vrou has been completed, Marléne is keeping mum about what happens next, so residents will have to watch the show at 8.30pm on Channel 144 to find out.

“I would like to remind viewers that I entered the show with a letter and not an engagement ring. I didn’t just go to see if I was good for Hennie, I also wanted to know if Hennie was good for me. I went into this with an open-mind, wanting happiness for the girls on the show. The time I spent with Hennie on the show is too short to decide if I love him, and we were never really alone. It’s only after being chosen that you might be able to tell if he is your dream man or not.

“I have learned a lot about myself from being on the show. I realised that people should never seek love in someone else or expect another person to make you happy. You need to find love and happiness in yourself, and appreciate all the little joys that life has to offer, before you can share that love and happiness with another.

“I believe that love is a lifelong journey and the right man will come into your life at the right time to embark on that journey with you.

“I am grateful for having had the opportunity to be on the show. I have made friends with people I would never have met if it wasn’t for this opportunity.”