She was among the 18 housemates vying to take home the R2 million prize money but her stay in the house was short-lived.
One of the first candidates to be evicted from Big Brother Mzansi, Thando "Acacia" Mati shared some of the interesting moments with the other housemates, giving The Star a full view into her experience.
The 30-year-old model said being part of the house was amazing and, given a chance to go back, she would not think twice about it.
"It was beautiful. It was great. And as much as I had certain twists with certain individuals but the experience on its own was beautiful because you learn a lot about other people."
Mati, from Pimville, said she was not shocked by her eviction because she realised speaking her mind was intimidating to other contestants.
She admitted being part of theshow was often tough because of the backlash on social media.
"The comments are so insane because it is like they know me. I would see comments with some calling me a snake. Whereas they do not even know me,"Mati said.
She added being strong-willed had helped her deal with the negativity out there. Mati said the support from her family and friends had also been incredible as they were with her every step of the way.
"My friends have been supportive from day one. I am just grateful for that because I think in essence it just brings me peace. They bring me happiness because those are the people who know me better. So if they are for me then I don't care about what the rest of the world thinks about me."
When asked about her involvement with Luthando "BU" Mthembu, she said it was part of the fun as she needed to explore the other personalities in the house.
When asked about the reason she had entered the competition, Mati said she wanted to grow her brand.
