Valentine’s Day in South Africa has taken on a new persona, thanks to the extravagant celebrations of Lerato Kganyago and her husband, Thami Ndlala.
Why ‘Lerato Kganyago’ trends every Valentine’s Day
Each year, the anticipation builds as fans and followers eagerly await to see how Kganyago will be celebrated on this day of love.
Her husband’s grand gestures have transformed 14 February into an unofficial “Lerato Kganyago Day,” setting a new benchmark for Valentine’s Day celebrations across the nation.
In 2021, Thami Ndlala set the bar exceptionally high by booking out the entire FNB stadium for a private candlelit dinner, complete with a live serenade by the acclaimed singer Zonke.
This romantic spectacle not only captured the hearts of many but also catapulted Kganyago to the top of Mzansi’s trending lists, showcasing the lengths to which Ndlala would go to celebrate his wife.
The following year, Ndlala’s Valentine’s gift to Kganyago was equally, if not more, lavish. He gifted her a hotel, which the couple then renovated into a five-star boutique hotel named 12 on Hillel Villa and Spa, complete with a restaurant called Amour (French for love, a nod to Kganyago’s name).
However, the expectations for grandeur have become a staple of Kganyago’s Valentine’s Day, creating a buzz of anticipation each year among the South African public.
In 2023, despite being in the United States during Valentine’s Day, the curiosity about what Ndlala would present Kganyago remained high.
His history of grand gestures has set a standard, with previous years featuring not just the stadium event but also the acquisition of luxury properties, raising questions about how he would top these in subsequent years.
Despite the escalating expectations, Kganyago indicated a desire to scale back, suggesting that she and her husband would not partake in the Valentine’s Day fervour in 2023.
This announcement was met with disappointment from fans, who had become accustomed to the annual spectacle of their celebrations.
This year, the couple has leaned toward a similar stance, leaving the extravagance and spoils away from the limelight.
The tradition of Valentine’s Day as a day of gifting has evolved significantly, with couples striving to express their love in increasingly elaborate ways.
The story of Lerato Kganyago and Thami Ndlala exemplifies this evolution, turning Valentine’s Day into an opportunity for grand romantic gestures that capture the public’s imagination and set new standards for love celebrations.
