'How else am I gonna meet someone?'...Kingdom of Hearts is Working on it

Kate Shuttleworth on being catapulted to success in just four months

Let’s face it. Where can you meet a partner? Through friends, maybe through work. We know it’s not easy, especially at a certain age but to be honest, I hear my friends in their 30s saying: "Where the heck can I meet him when I’m surrounded by smug married couples?". This is where the Kingdom of Hearts comes in handy.

Cape Town's social romantic network

Launched in September 2010 the Kingdom of Hearts is all about keeping it real as opposed to online dating. The difference is that everyone is met personally and Kate Shuttleworth and her team spend at least an hour with those in search of a partner. "It’s important for us to get to know our clients," says Kate, "We assess as much as possible because our clients are serious about finding love and that’s why they come to us for help. With online-dating everyone is a hunter and you could even run straight into the arms of a predator. It’s not as real."

At Kingdom of Hearts thought and passion come together. "I care about it deeply," says Kate who is the ideal candidate to go on a mission to find the right partner for you!

Kate is mainly approached by women in their 40s and 50s and "recruiting older men is not easy. Their expectations have to be realistic,"she says, "I have so many suprises. Short men, virgins in their late 20s, academic Africans that are searching for a partner. Everyone is different!" 

In her portal are a few hundred professors, doctors, academics, ordinary people, jewellers, managers of leading food franchises, civil engineers, wine farm managers, retired people, business people, university lecturers... and soon you?

Apart from a discreet match-making service, the Kingdom of Hearts network also hold functions every once in a while so that members can meet.

The challenge: matching peoples expectations

Kate’s highlights since the launch are certainly her matches. "People are so happy that we we're able to find a partner for them." It’s not an easy job, that’s for sure. "Some men come with a large, superficial shopping list of how the woman of their dreams should look whilst women tend to be more interested in the person." Kate says with a smile. "We never have enough people and always a shortage of men. The more people we have, the more we can introduce."

The future plan for Kingdom of Hearts is to take things national! Kate calls her work "Mathemagics".

Joining the Kingdom of Hearts network is not cheap, but it's a small price to pay for the possibility of finding your life partner. The first package costs R3000 (recruitment for 6 months with a number of introductions), the second one R6000 (membership for 1 year including two introductions a month) and the third costs R9000 and is an active promotion throughout the year.

Since starting the Kingdom of Hearts Kate has facilitated five heavily successful matches. One couple even moved in together and is planning a wedding as we put pen to paper.

By the way, a Greek man (journalist, dynamic) is looking for a Valentine to live with him on a Greek island. His dreamgirl must be an English South African under 45. If that girl is you, give Kate a call!

Sometimes people are apprehensive when setting foot into Kate’s office. "Take the courage to see me, then you’ll be fine," she encourages. There’s really nothing to be embarrased about, it’s all about finding your happiness! If you take a pragmatic approach and think "How else am I gonna meet someone?" you'll find that proaction is the easiest option.

by Antonia Heil

For more information, visit www.kingdomofhearts.co.za or call +27 (0)21 811 9900 and join our Facebook group to be in the loop.

Read about the launch of the Kingdom of Hearts.