Showmax has officially taken over Sundays, as the second season of Married at First Sight South Africa takes Mzansi by storm. Whether it’s on X, Instagram, or TikTok, viewers can’t stop talking about what’s been unfolding, and the most explosive moments are still on the way.
For Tshepo Miya, he joined the platform to find love in a non-traditional sense, and he certainly got more than he bargained for, especially cementing himself as one of Showmax’s biggest TV villains.
Tshepo Miya: Married at First Sight
While he eagerly signed up for the concept of being married to a stranger, Miya admits that he couldn’t fully prepare himself for such an experiment. However, he did engage in a heavy conversation with someone that some may be surprised exists – his therapist,
“My therapist advised me that shows like this will bring about different people, and you should always remember what you can be in control of and leave the things you cannot control.”
With that, he was soon introduced to his wife, Palesa Mphaki, and admits that while his mind was racing, he was hopeful of what was to come.
Unfortunately, this hopefulness quickly dissipated after Miya unexplainably suggested polygamy on his wedding night, as finally landing one wife got him excited for another. Yet, for Miya, this isn’t what shattered the image of a potentially ‘perfect marriage.’
According to him, the cracks in his marriage appeared during the honeymoon phase when Mphaki requested that he not communicate directly with women in production, but rather redirect them to her for any information or requirements.
“I found that strange as we were still getting to know each other and that kind of behaviour did raise some eyebrows,” he admits.
Camera Ready Conflict
Despite what viewers are seeing and the conclusions they are coming to based on Miya’s behavior, Miya claims that the conflict in his marriage doesn’t stem from his almost calculated actions. Rather, it was the expectation that he was to adhere to a specific camera image.
“I would be told by my wife that we need to ‘nip them [issues] in the bud’ and ensure we appear okay as much as possible. My issue is that I cannot pretend – if I’m not okay, then I am not okay.”
As for the other issues that he failed to ‘nip in the bud’, Miya found himself in conflict with one of the other wives, Makoto Phumodi. This stemmed from his opinions of Phumodi’s marriage with Nkuleleko Mahlangu, after which he referenced a Snoop Dogg song to infer that Phumodi was anything but a respectable woman.
“I have never wanted to surround myself with unruly people who, even around other people, can just say whatever they want, without showing some kind of respect – not only for their partner, but for us as well.”
Despite his conflicts with his wife, Miya seems to be on good terms with Mahlangu and the rest of the husbands, revealing that they’ve been there for each other since the bachelor party.
“We have been a great outlet for each one of us, the brotherhood that has come from that has been incredible, and I appreciate that.”
He adds that while he’s taken a lot of online bullying and assumptions, he is comforted by those who know me, including the support from the other husbands,
“It’s been an amazing brotherhood that we have developed; it has helped each of us navigate through some really hard episodes each week, and I never take that for granted.”
The Wedding Was Only The Beginning
Exposing your deepest vulnerabilities to the public and having them dissect every area of your new marriage isn’t easy, but the experience showed Miya that he possesses tougher skin than he initially thought.
“People will always form some kind of opinion about you, good or bad, and the only thing you can do is to continue showing up as yourself and continue being the best version to those who wish to experience you in person.”
With that, Miya advises anyone hoping to get married to a stranger to be prepared for anything,
“Not all that glitters is gold, so do it for the right reasons, trust your gut instincts, and never depart from who you are.”
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