“All of their relationships are in danger.” Eliminated Temptation Island singles speak out

In its first seven episodes, Temptation Island South Africa has already seen two couples give in to temptation, and four singles eliminated without finding love.

ALSO READ: Trouble in paradise on Temptation Island South Africa on Showmax

We asked Pietermaritzburg’s Kwanele ‘Finch’ Thusi, Durban’s Lilitha Mlahlwa, Gqeberha’s S’bu Nqini, and Joburg’s Zinhle Nkosi for their take on the hit reality show, now that they’re off it.

Why do you think you got eliminated?

Zinhle Nkosi: I expected to be eliminated because I didn’t really connect with any of the guys romantically. It was a struggle for me because they are not what I would normally go for.

ZINHLE NKOSI
ZINHLE NKOSI

Kwanele ‘Finch’ Thusi: The biggest reason was that the four ladies from day one had already decided who were the strongest and weakest amongst the single guys. I feel like their strategy is to first eliminate the strongest men. By doing so, this automatically eliminates the need for them to be challenged by the alphas in the villa. The ladies found that myself and S’bu challenged them a lot, especially when it came to us questioning why they’re on this show, and they found that too intense.

Lilitha Mlahlwa: I wasn’t connecting with the guys, so I’m happy with the decision they made to eliminate me. I couldn’t pretend that there was a connection when in fact there was none.

LILITA MLAHLWA
LILITA MLAHLWA

S’bu Nqini: Shout out to all the girls but physical attraction is a big deal to me. I wasn’t connecting with any of those girls. We were just not vibing at all but it’s all love.

Who did you connect with the most? 

Kwanele: Nthabi, from day one. We spoke about a lot of things, from her childhood to her relationship with MJ.

Lilitha: There might’ve been a slight connection with Sifiso but then he did something that put me off. He had connections with three other girls, and I was the fourth. There was a time where he wanted me to accompany him to his room for a chat. What put me off is that he then asked permission from one of the girls for us to go to his room. I didn’t like that. I don’t like a man that doesn’t take charge. He could’ve just told me to go with him instead of asking permission from another woman.

Zinhle: I did connect with Grant and I gave him a chance. Even with him, he wasn’t what I would normally go for, but I was still willing to get to know him. But what Grant said to me when I got eliminated just did not make sense. He should’ve just said that we did have a connection and that I was a distraction, not that other stuff.

If given a second chance, what would you have done differently?

Lilitha: Nothing, because I wouldn’t be myself. If I did things differently, I would’ve faked everything and it was going to show on camera. So I’m happy for being myself and not forcing connections. I was going to regret it later on if I did.

Kwanele: I would’ve entered the villa with a strategy. I know this sounds disingenuous and like I won’t be honest about my feelings, but I feel like that’s what most of the girls came in with, and some of the gentlemen. They came in with a strategy of wanting to stay in the villa and on camera for as long as possible. Some people came onto this show with pure intentions and some came here to find fame. If I knew that there were strategies in place, I would’ve also come in with a strategy of how I would’ve wanted to be perceived. But I didn’t: I was just being myself, looking for real connections.

Kwanele ‘Finch’ Thusi
Kwanele ‘Finch’ Thusi

Zinhle: Nothing actually. I have no regrets; I only regret not going into the pool. I did the best that I could and I would like to believe that I handled every situation like I normally would off-camera.

S’bu: Nothing, because thanks to the elimination I found this remarkable girl I’m with. I’m just happy right now, man. Shout out to the girls. Thank you so much for eliminating me because you brought me closer to another remarkable girl.

Who do you think is genuinely vibing with each other?

Kwanele: Definitely Dane and Precious.

Zinhle: There are so many vibes in the villa but one person that is a hit is Sifiso. The girls are vibing with him but I’m not sure if his intentions are genuine. One minute he’s vibing with Dimpho, then Eve, then Gigi. The guy’s vibing, hey!

And which relationships do you think are in danger? 

Lilitha: I don’t think anyone’s relationship is in danger. I don’t think MJ and Bontle are going to be in a relationship after this. I don’t think MJ is here for love. I think it’s more for clout.

Zinhle: All of their relationships are in danger. Mainly Grant’s. Even though I didn’t go on a date with him, he was vibing with me. He decided to choose Nicole but yet he was also entertaining me, so for me, that was a red flag.

What was the best thing about being on Temptation Island South Africa?

S’bu: Temptation Island is a remarkable platform and show. The intention I had for coming onto this show was not only to learn more about myself but it was to also unlearn things that I felt were holding me back from moving forward in terms of romantic relationships. Coming onto this platform made me feel that I am considerate and that I do have a heart. Being on the show helped me connect with my softer side. A lot of guys don’t want to speak about their vulnerable side, but guess what? I got vulnerable and I’m now comfortable with speaking about it. I’m loving this soft living; this softer S’bu is a vibe!

S’bu Nqini
S’bu Nqini

Lilitha: Definitely the friendships that I made. I developed a sisterhood with the ladies which I appreciate. I also enjoyed discovering myself while on the show. If I wasn’t OK, I was able to go to the diary room and vent. I probably cried in that diary room every day but it helped; it felt as though I was in a therapy session, which I appreciate.

Kwanele: Being in the villa and having an all-access pass to the entire house. I also walked out having developed a lot of strong friendships with the gents. And I learned a lot about loyalty. I will add that the best thing was also meeting the four ladies, even though they are very indecisive and play too many mind games. But I do wish them all the best.

Zinhle: Definitely the connections I made with the other girls. Even though I’m one of the first people to be eliminated, I’m glad I got to build those friendships and I feel like what we built was genuine.

Image Courtesy: Supplied