Man got mocked for proposing at KFC. Then the internet gifted the couple a dream wedding

This man proposed to his future wife at KFC when they were in the middle of their meal and the video of this unique proposal went viral, but sadly it became the butt of jokes. Now, little did the trolls know that this proposal would actually help the couple have their dream wedding a few months later. Mkansi, 37, proposed to Soldaat, 2,8 at a KFC restaurant in South Africa, and since it was posted on Twitter, the video has been shared over 25,000 times at #KFCProposal. People found the proposal beyond touching and were ready to help the couple plan their big day. KFC South Africa arranged a wedding planner for the couple and Audi and Uber made arrangements for the couple to get around on their honeymoon. The outpouring of love for the unique proposal didn't end here though. South Africans jumped up to help the couple pay for their wedding, spa treatments and more. 

The story that eventually led to the KFC proposal started in 2010. The couple met at a funeral and then fell in love. The couple eventually got married in 2012, but the groom, who is also a pastor, expressed that it was not their dream wedding. “In 2011, our families began lobola negotiations (dowry), and in 2012, we got married in a small traditional ceremony as that was all we could afford at the time… We had the ceremony but I knew this wasn’t what my wife and I wanted,” Mkansi told the outlet. He added that he was not happy with the rings he got for his wife, so he decided to get her new ones and propose to her at KFC, the couple's favorite place to eat. The man shared that he talked to the team about his plan and they were quite surprised by his request but decided to help him regardless. When Soldaat looked inside her meal, the rings were there, and Mkansi went down on one knee and proposed. Someone caught the couple's moment on camera and posted it online. 

Though there was a lot of love, there was a lot of hate as well. People couldn't stomach the KFC proposal. A woman went as far as commenting that South African men are so broke that they propose at KFC. However, the man expressed that there was so much positivity that they didn't even notice the negative comments. KFC South Africa made the following announcement on Twitter, “South Africa, you guys are amazing! We’ve found the beautiful couple, and looks like we’re having a #StreetwiseWedding y’all. We’re meeting Bhut’ Hector and his lovely bride Nonhlanhla we’ll keep you posted. #KFCProposal." 

The man shared that he had a small event in mind this time to match his budget, but now, with the tremendous amount of support, he just can't believe their luck. “We are still in disbelief, both of us have to ask each other if this is really happening from time to time. We couldn’t be more grateful to God and every single person who has shared in our little love story,” he expressed. The man added that this was the wedding of their dreams. He shared that he had never in a million years thought that something like this would happen to them. Maybe, where there's love, there's a way.  

Editor's note: This article was originally published on February 22, 2024. It has since been updated.