Acacia says goodbye to Big Brother Mzansi

In the third Big Brother Mzansi Sunday Live eviction ceremony just before Valentine’s Day, model Thando Mati, popularly known as Acacia, got the boot from Biggie.

Acacia was arguably the most confrontational person in the Mansion. If something didn’t sit well with her, she’d immediately show disapproval. Basically, she’s the type who doesn’t tip-toe around an issue, which was both her strongest quality and her biggest downfall in the competition.

In early February, Acacia revealed that she had a crush on B.U. – a fact that she claimed that everyone in the Mansion knew, especially her friend, Venus. Acacia was under the impression that B.U. reciprocated her feelings. So it came as a shock when Acacia watched as B.U. and Venus flirted on the dance floor at 1 of the house parties.

Acacia was betrayed and staying on brand, she made it known to Venus and B.U. that she was hurt. Several uncomfortable back-and-forth conversations between Acacia and B.U. soon followed. She also confronted Venus, leaving the Housemates divided against Acacia’s actions. Eventually, Acacia cleared the air with B.U. and Venus but the damage was done and she was later given the boot.

We caught up with Acacia to find out about her time in the Big Brother Mzansi Mansion.

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Question time with Acacia

You’re known to be confrontational. How did your clash with the remaining Housemates lead to your early eviction?

“Of course, I’m confrontational, it’s 1 of my vices. It’s also another reason I was nominated for eviction, but I won’t hold that against my Housemates. I’m going to stand on the fact that I was nominated because I’m strong-willed and the Housemates saw that as a threat. They realised that to freely play the game, they needed to eliminate the strongest players first.”

What do you think of your portrayal on the show?

“It was pretty fair. I was real to myself and with that said, I didn’t lose myself. My peace matters to me. Some of my Housemates misunderstood my personality, and that’s okay. I have come to realise that we are all different and we handle things differently.”

What was your reaction when you were evicted?

“I was sad. When I entered Big Brother Mzansi, I wanted to win the R2 million, and I had plans for the money – it hurts to think that I don’t have the cash prize within reach. At the same time, I have a 6-year-old daughter and I’m excited to see her and be with my family and friends again.”

What was your strategy to win Big Brother Mzansi?

“To be relatable and authentic. I keep saying this: my goal was for different people to connect to my personality – from the girl in Soweto to the girl in the Northern Suburbs [of Johannesburg]. I wanted them to watch me in the reality show and think: “This is a real person, [Acacia] isn’t putting up a front. She cries when she has to, and she speaks her mind when she has to.” And I did just that.”

What did you learn about yourself in the Big Brother Mzansi Mansion?

“It was a great eye-opener. I now know that I’m not good at living in a communal setting. More than anything, Big Brother Mzansi granted me the opportunity to learn and to suss out diverse ways in which people operate and think. Furthermore, I learnt that I can be calm, and that I don’t always need to be confrontational or hold onto grudges. It’s appropriate to walk away while having an argument with someone, and not address every problem. Over time, I realised that I can [be the bigger person] in a feud. It’s a great thing on my part because I always want to get my point across, but not everyone is willing to hear you.”

Who were you closest to in the Mansion?

“I gravitated towards Themba and Nale. While Themba brought out the best in me and I was always laughing when I was around him, Nale was laid-back. They were the right balance as I could have a ball with Themba and soon after, I’d hang out with Nale, and she’d bring me back to Earth.”

Any projects in the pipeline?

“Now that I’m home again, I’d like to focus on my modelling and acting careers. I’m also interested in starting my own mobile breast clinic, someday in future, where I work with leading breast surgeons in the country to help bring awareness to breast cancer, particularly in the youth.”

When and where to watch

• Mzansi Magic (DStv Channel 161) airs the daily shows on Tuesdays to Fridays at 22:00
• Highlights on Saturdays at 21:30
• Shower Hour on Tuesdays to Fridays at 10:30
• Saturday Night Parties at 21:00
• Live eviction shows on Sundays at 18:00.
• Meanwhile, the action continues non-stop on the 24-hour Channel Big Brother Mzansi Pop-up Channel (DStv Channel 198).

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Watch Big Brother Mzansi Season 3, Sundays on Mzansi Magic (DStv Channel 161) at 18:00 and on Catch Up, and daily on Big Brother Mzansi pop-up Channel (DStv Channel 198).

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