S'jola Sonke recently aired its first season on Mzansi Magic, DStv channel 161. Unlike other dating shows, the format was premised on two things; giving couples and singles who prefer multi-partner relationships a platform to pursue what they like. Secondly, the show prioritised inclusivity and opened up the villa to persons outside of the hetero-matrix.

Beyond all the entertainment that trended, shook the internet, and had the audience tuning in every Sunday, we also gleaned a lot of dating and relationship lessons from the popular reality series. Here are some; 

For better or for worse 

Imagine walking into a room with the love of your life. Now, imagine that everyone in that room is as free to come and make advances and pursue a connection with the both of you. Add this part; you will be living with all those people in one house for three months. What are the rules of engagement? For the couples in the villa, putting their main partner first proved to be key.

In the end, Kwanele and Julius chose each other and decided the singles were not worth a potential break-up. This led to their engagement. 

Similarly, Test and Rainbow stuck beside each other through it all. 

Don't let the outsiders know 

For that to work, the couples had to control narratives that circulated around the villa. For Test and Rainbow, the tea was that Rainbow wanted tbe someone else in the villa, but was not as open to having Test explore with the same level of freedom. For Julius and Kwanele, the rumour was that Kwanele was controlling and possessive. For Hope and Lesego, the main speculation was that Hope was the dominant partner. 

Communication is a love language 

In order to be able to navigate the complex landscape of polyamorous dating, it was crucial for the couples to keep the doors open for a check-in. This is how Kwanele was able to find out that Julius felt like he was his approach to the experience had taken the back-seat. 

Live the life you have imagined 

For everyone in the house, the possibility of being judged for pursuing polyamory was always present. Each of them didn't care what others thought of them, and decided to explore what else is out there without the fear of being judged by others. 

Explore 

We also learned that it is okay to explore. And, as it turned out, it is okay to find out what is not really for you. Hope did, and decided to part ways with Lesego. Julius and Kwanele did, and decided to get married and put polyamory on ice. Kefentse revealed that he would rather have Mbali all to himself, despite initially wanting to explore polyamory. 

Sjola Sonke aired its first season on Mzansi Magic, DStv Channel 161, every Sunday at 21:00. Keep an eye out for more details on Mzansi Magic’s social media channels,Facebook,Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok