We met in 2022, I had recently relocated to Johannesburg at the beginning of 2021. And after everything that came with starting a new chapter in a new city, finding the right person wasn’t something I expected to happen, especially on Tinder.

Around May, after we matched, I sent her a message. We started chatting, but after a few messages, she stopped responding. I didn’t give up, though. In June, I tried again, and this time she replied.

We started chatting again, and before long, our conversations moved from Tinder to long phone calls.

Eventually I gathered the courage to ask her out, and on 8 July 2022, we went on our first date.

As we spent more time together, I began to realise that there was something truly special about her. By the end of July, I knew how I felt, everything between us felt effortless and natural, so I didn’t want to waste any more time.

I planned another date, and this time I had an important question to ask: Would she be my girlfriend?

She said yes:-).

And, as they say, the rest is history.

It started with a swipe and a month long disappearance.

We met on Tinder, where Thapelo spotted me and decided to shoot his shot with classic, undeniable confidence:

“Hi Mesh, I would like to take you out on a date to get to know you.”

The funny part? After we matched, we chatted briefly and I told him I was driving and would get back to him. I then abandoned the app and vanished for an entire month! When I finally logged back in, saw his message, and replied, our journey officially began.

Our first date was a late lunch at Doppio Zero in Centurion. What was meant to be a quick bite turned into a four hour marathon of non stop laughter and deep conversation. Two weeks later, he planned a semi formal date at The Underground Railway in Parkhurst. Near the end of the night, he nervously asked me to be his girlfriend.

My answer? “Yes! Absolutely!”

Behind my excitement, a small voice whispered: “Ehh Hape die man is fresh from capetown, surely he is going to dribble me ka betha top with that Capetown dating game i'm unfarmiliar with.”

Clearly, I underestimated him because just one month later, I moved in with him.

Now, with my strict parents, I couldn’t exactly call home to say, "By the way, I’ve moved in with my boyfriend." At the time, I told my parents I was living with my close friend, Karabo, who unknowingly became my ultimate cover story. For nine blissful months, my parents believed I was living happily with her until someone whispered the truth to them.

The secret was out, I had to come clean, and Thapelo was introduced to the family. Thankfully, they fell in love with him immediately.

The Proposal

Then came the proposal, 100% Thapelo style.

Thapelo has always been a straightforward man. No dramatic theatrics, no getting down on one knee, and no rehearsed speeches. Instead, one day, in his wonderfully awkward and nervous way, he asked:

“Would it be weird if I send a lobola letter to your parents to ask for your hand in marriage?”

I couldn't help but laugh at how nervous he was, but I knew what that question really meant. I looked at him and simply said, “LOL, absolutely not!”

What started with a Tinder message, a month long delayed reply, a four hour lunch, and a very suspicious guy who relocated from Cape Town became a love story between two people who chose to build a life together. There was no knee in the dust, just a nervous question, a lobola letter, two families uniting, and a love that keeps choosing us.

Our story started unexpectedly, grew quietly, and led us right here: to forever.