I Won't Settle For Less

On her new show Jo-Anne Reyneke helps single parents find love – it’s a perfect job for this busy mom who’s also searching for Mr Right

- Khosi Biyela

SHE knows just how tough it is getting back into the dating game. As a single parent juggling a new job and the daily demands of raising two children, JoAnne Reyneke barely has time to catch her breath.

“I leave before the kids wake up and come back home when they’ve already gone to bed. I have to explain why mommy is hardly home,” says the host of the hit show Single Parents Looking for Love.

Jo-Anne’s been single since her public breakup with ex Thami Mngqolo. Two years ago they seemed to have it all: thriving careers, a loving family and a glittering future. She’d hoped to grow old with Thami and watch their kids blossom, but then it all came crashing down.

There were reports the former Generations heartthrob had cheated, but Jo-Anne doesn’t want to get into the dirty details. All that matters now is that she’s put it behind her and is finding her feet as a single woman, she tells us when we meet her for a catch-up at a studio in Parktown, Johannesburg.

She’s dipping her toe in the dating pool, but it’s been tough. “There are no men out there. And the ones who are showing interest are just useless.”

In her 20s dating was all about fun, she explains, but now that she’s a mother, Jo-Anne (31) has become more selective about who she gets involved with.

Knowing the pitfalls of trying to find the perfect partner, she was thrilled when Lungile Radu – who produces her BET Africa show – approached her to help single parents looking for love get back into the dating scene.

“We look for appropriate suitors to fit every single parent’s relationship requirement,” Jo-Anne tells DRUM.

“It’s the story of my life. Before kids, you don’t really care who you date. It’s easy to invite a guy to your house. Once kids are involved, everything changes.”