Couple who met in South Africa discuss their marriage in TV show

17 October 2018

A BALLYNAHINCH couple who fell in love within a few short weeks of meeting in South Africa are starring in a new series for UTV.

Bongi and Claire Lolwana will talk about what their relationship in the six-part series, With This Ring.

Starting tomorrow night, the programme talks about the trials and tribulations of married life in Northern Ireland.

Bongi and Claire are one of 10 married couples who are opening up about their unique marriage and how it works.

All the couples have gone through tough times together — from the loss of loved ones, unemployment, religious differences, right through to fertility issues.

Bongi (28), and Claire (27), fell in love in 2010 when they met while doing charity work for a mission called Youth for Christ in South Africa.

What set their relationship apart was race, as 25 years before they met, their relationship would have been viewed as illegal as marriage between while and black people was prohibited under apartheid.

While the band was lifted in June, 1985, interracial marriages were frowned about and public displays of such relationships still viewed as unwelcome.

But the colour of their skin was not an issue for the two young people who met when Bongi was 21 and Claire was 20.

“I didn’t see colour when I first looked at Bongi and I still don’t,” says Claire, a nurse.

“I just see Bongi. While our colour may have been an issue for some people, race has never been one for us or our families.

“We did get some looks when we were together in South Africa, and maybe would still do when we are back, but it’s not something we take notice of.”

While the young couple viewed falling in love as natural, their love has helped to inspire others.

Claire recalled: “I remember Bongi and I were visiting his family home and we walked into the town one day hand in hand. An old black man approached us and held our hands and said, ‘This is what I call real freedom’.”

Bongi, who works in engineering, says that Claire was more smitten with him at the beginning.

However, Claire says that he told her he loved her as she as about to go to the airport to return home.

“We kind of knew we were in love fairly quickly and decided to become boyfriend and girlfriend, even thought it was going to be a long-distance relationship,” said Bongi.

“We kept in touch by telephone. Because her call deal meant she couldn’t ring cell numbers, I would wait by a telephone box outside my house every day for her to call at 8pm.”

Eight months later, Claire returned to South Africa with her parents to meet Bongi and his family in his home town of Knysna.

They were married over five years ago after decided that living in Northern Ireland was the best option as Claire had to finish university.

Apart from appearing on the programme, the couple also were guests of Pamela Ballantine on UTV Life last Friday night.

With this Ring is produced for UTV by Belfast-based independent company Triplevision Productions and is sponsored by Ellison’s Jeweller’s, Belfast. It starts tomorrow at 10.45pm.

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