After heartbreak and public scrutiny on The Ultimatum South Africa, Nolla and Lebo found healing not just in each other, but in parenthood — proving that love, when nurtured, can begin again.

When Nolla and Lebo speak about their son, their voices soften — his with excitement, hers with calm warmth. You can feel the pride radiate through every word, like two people finally living in a love that once felt impossible.

Their journey wasn’t easy. The world met them on The Ultimatum South Africa, where cracks in their relationship played out for thousands to witness. It was raw and painful — but it was also the beginning of something deeper. What looked like the end became a lesson in growth, compassion, and second chances.

 

 

That maturity, he says, became the foundation of the man he is today — a husband and a father.

 

Lebo nods gently beside him. “On my side,” she adds, “it taught me to forgive. If you decide to forgive, you have to do it fully. Had I not made that decision, we wouldn’t be where we are now. He wouldn’t have had the chance to grow, and I wouldn’t have seen the beauty in what we’ve built since.”

 

Their relationship, once defined by conflict, has transformed into partnership — and their greatest partnership of all is parenting.

 

When they speak about their baby boy, their joy is contagious. “We named him Maru,” Nolla says proudly, his face lighting up. “It means ‘clouds.’” Lebo smiles and adds softly, “And my mom gave him the name Tlangelani, which means celebration.”

 

A celebration, indeed — of love that has weathered storms, of two souls who chose growth over ego, and of a new chapter written in the quiet moments of feeding, cuddling, and midnight lullabies.

 

Both were raised in homes that taught them, in different ways, what love looks like. Lebo grew up with a mother whose softness shaped her sense of nurture. “My mom taught me patience,” she says. “She was always calm, even when things were tough. That’s what I carry into motherhood.”

 

For Nolla, fatherhood is a way to rewrite the narrative. “I was raised by strong women — my mom, my aunt — they were everything. Being a dad now, I want to bring that same strength, but also emotional presence. I want my son to see that men can be gentle too.”

 

 

 

When asked what they hope people take away from their story, they share a knowing look. Nolla goes first, his tone softening: “Our love story is about resilience and forgiveness.”

 

Lebo adds, “It’s also about learning to trust again — and minding your own business!” she laughs, and they both burst into laughter, the kind that comes from shared healing. “If it’s meant to be, it will be. When God wants something to happen, it’ll happen.”

 

And so it did. What once seemed broken has become whole again. Now, with baby Maru Tlangelani in their arms, Nolla and Lebo stand not as the couple who fell apart on TV — but as the family who grew, forgave, and chose love anyway.

 

Because sometimes, hardship isn’t the end of the story. It’s the soil where something beautiful begins to bloom.