Mzansi’s hottest new couple keen to make Gqeberha home
‘Love Island SA’ winners looking forward to enjoying the simple things in life
In the near future, you are likely to spot Mzansi’s newest favourite couple — the winners of Love Island SA — pushing a grocery trolley at a Gqeberha store.
The couple placed living in the city at the top of their list of options.
Gqeberha-based student athlete and model Libhongolethu Geza, 23, and Thimna Shooto, 26, a Mossel Bay massage therapist and fitness influencer, were named the inaugural winners of the popular reality franchise’s SA version on Sunday.
The couple, who had become fan favourites in the early stages of the show, won not only each other’s hearts but R1m to split between them.
While fans are smitten by the couple’s victory, the two lovebirds said they were simply looking forward to enjoying life’s simplest pleasures, such as walking to the shops together in the “real world” after spending months in the villa on set.
“I actually look forward to the mundane stuff, like walking into Pick n Pay, going to the beach and showing him around Mossel Bay and the spots I like going to.
“All the things we couldn’t do in the villa and obviously the huge thing of meeting each other’s families,” Shooto said.
Hailing from Qonce (formerly King William’s Town), Geza said they would most likely live in Gqeberha as the city was in between their homes.
“We are definitely looking at Gqeberha as our number one option at the moment.
“It could change, but Gqeberha is the closer option to both Qonce and Mossel Bay.
“So we’re working towards settling in Gqeberha,” Geza said.
The two were speaking from the Western Cape, where they are staying temporarily before they return home.
As they prepare to start a life together, Geza and Shooto said they had formed a strong bond during the show and were ready to face the world together.
“I think the little [challenges] we faced in the villa are so small compared to what we could experience outside.
“There were some little things that [challenged] us but we aren’t afraid to talk about them and building that transparent relationship where we can be uncomfortable with each other is a good foundation,” Shooto said.
The couple said the prize money would help them start their relationship on an easier footing.
Geza, a Nelson Mandela University tourism management student and rugby player, said he had walked out of the show a richer man, and he did not mean just financially.
“Walking out of this experience, I am emotionally richer. I love the place I’m in.
“When I walked into the villa I was very nonchalant,” Geza said.
Shooto said she initially had low expectations when she entered the show.
“I have learnt so much. I learnt that I can be vulnerable and have it pay off.
“I know a lot of us are scared to be vulnerable because we’re scared we’re going to get hurt.
“I’m happy that I allowed myself a chance to get into a very healthy relationship, which is something I’ve never had before,” she said.
Shooto was among the show’s first islanders who were introduced when it debuted and Geza joined as a bombshell shortly after, catching Shooto’s eye.
“Given an opportunity, what I would do differently is show [Geza] that I was interested in him earlier,” Shooto said.
The season’s first episode hogged headlines as viewers
slammed it for a lack of diversity. The show was once again slammed by anti-gender-based violence organisation Keep The Energy when Millie, one of the
islanders, made a joke about rape during one of its episodes.
M-Net later issued an apology and the scene was edited out.