The Ultimatum: South Africa reunion - Nkateko explains why he gave Khanya a promise ring

The Ultimatum: South Africa wrapped up the season with a reunion special on Friday, May 24, 2024. During the intriguing episode, fans saw the cast sit down with one of the hosts, Salamina, who spoke to them about what had been going on in their lives since the show ended.

The show is all about couples deciding to either marry each other or walk away from their relationships. Khanya and Nkateko made headlines while on the show, as the latter gave his girlfriend a promise ring instead of an engagement ring in the final episode. With the ring, Nkateko promised to work through their issues but Khanya rejected it.

While speaking to the duo, the host asked Nkateko about the proposal segment. She asked him whether he'd do anything differently if he had the chance and Nkateko said he would. Referring to contestants Thabi and Genesis, who put their engagement on pause, he spoke about not proposing to Khanya in the finale and said:

"Um, just like what I'm saying now, and I think he (Genesis) also brought it up, they proposed, I mean, he proposed to her and then later on realized, 'No, we need to put in the work,' I realized what he realized way before then."

---

Nkateko and Khanya discuss their relationship during The Ultimatum: South Africa reunion special

During The Ultimatum: South Africa's reunion special, Salamina asked Nkateko and Khanya about their relationship. Nkateko explained that in episode 9, he had a "heart-to-heart" conversation with Khanya and tried to make her understand that they weren't ready to get married, which is why he gave her a promise ring. He also revealed that the couple went to therapy after their time on the show.

The host then showed Khanya clips of her time on the show and called her the most "outspoken" cast member of the season. She further asked the cast member how she felt about her portrayal in the final cut and Khanya said:

"I mean, authenticity was always in the forefront, but that's not a true reflection of who I am. There were certain aspects of me that weren't displayed. And I guess it's good entertainment but yeah, I say a lot.

The Ultimatum: South Africa's Nkateko took responsibility for how his girlfriend reacted during the Netflix show. He added that he and his trial marriage partner Siza had a great time together and the show tested Khanya's limits, much like it tested other cast members as well.

"I had never seen Khanya act like that. You know what I mean? And it was hard, also for her, seeing me so happy. No one is perfect, um, we all react the way we do eventually. Sometimes you might regret it. She even apologized," he said.

Nkateko added that he and the cast member had a "heart-to-heart" discussion and he told her that she had been his ride or die. He admitted that Khanya was not perfect and that she fought with people during The Ultimatum: South Africa but he knew the value she brought into his life.

Nkateko further said that he explained the same thing to his mother, who after seeing certain parts of his relationship with Khanya believed the two were toxic for one another. She suggested that they needed some space and then needed to move on.

However, Nkateko was able to explain how important Khanya was to him and his mother agreed that she was only seeing things from one perspective. The Ultimatum: South Africa cast member then apologized to Khanya for not respecting the boundaries of a "real relationship."

He told her that she was amazing and a "sweetheart" when she was in a great place. Khanya added that sometimes she felt like she was being taken for granted and that his words were "touching."

Later in the episode, the couple revealed they got back together after the show and welcomed a baby into their lives. However, Nkateko recently took to social media to reveal that the couple split shortly after the reunion episode was filmed. He stated that following a "recent altercation" legal measures were taken to "facilitate potential co-parenting."

---

All the episodes of The Ultimatum: South Africa are available to stream on Netflix.