Tova Dating Blog

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  • Welcome to Tova: 6 Things to Know About the Dating App for African Professionals Across the Diaspora

    Tova is a private, membership-only community designed for African professionals across the diaspora who are looking for meaningful relationships.

    It exists to create intentional, culturally aligned relationships in a space where shared values, ambition, and community matter.

    What Is Tova?

    Tova is a membership-based dating and connections app built specifically for African professionals living in the diaspora.

    Unlike mainstream dating platforms, Tova prioritizes intentional matchmaking, cultural alignment, and meaningful relationships over volume and swipe-based interactions.

    6 Things to Know About Tova

    Tova doesn’t try to be everything to everyone. It exists for a specific reason and a specific group of people: people who are clear about who they are, what values are important to them, and what kind of connection they’re open to building. 

    This clarity is baked into the platform’s DNA as Tova is structured to prioritize the things that actually sustain a connection—shared heritage, professional ambition, and mutual respect. 

    1. Tova Is a Membership Only Dating App

    Most apps are free-for-all. We’re the opposite. Tova is a membership only platform because we believe that a high-quality community requires a gatekeeper. By moving away from the open-door policy of mainstream apps, we ensure that everyone you meet here is just as invested in finding a real connection as you are.

    The signup process is straightforward. Once you download the app on iOS or Android, you’ll be required to apply for membership, and then our team manually reviews your application to confirm your identity. 

    Once approved, you can choose a subscription plan that fits your goals. This small hurdle keeps the bots, the scammers, and the “just curious” crowd out, leaving only a vetted circle of people ready to find something meaningful.

    2. Tova Is Built for African Professionals in the Diaspora

    Tova is a dedicated space for a specific community: high-achieving Africans navigating life and career outside the continent. It is designed for intentional African professionals who are proud of their roots and looking for a partner or community who reflects that same value.

    At Tova, we believe your background is a great foundation for your dating life, not a detail you have to explain away. So, focusing exclusively on this demographic, Tova ensures that every potential match starts with a baseline of mutual understanding.

    3. Tova Prioritizes Precision Matching Over Swiping

    Tova prioritizes substance over random matches, and your time is too valuable for you to be stuck playing a numbers game, so we’ve replaced endless swiping with precision matching. 

    Tova uses a specific framework to narrow your dating pool to people who match your set preferences.

    The matching process is driven by the data that matters most to each user — heritage, location, age range, profession, religion, dating intention, and lifestyle alignment. When you set your preferences, the platform filters for the nuances of the information you’ve provided. This ensures that every profile you see has already met  some of your specified criteria. 

    4. Authenticity is Non-Negotiable

    Identity verification is a mandatory requirement for Tova membership. Every user’s identity is verified through their LinkedIn, Instagram or X (formerly twitter) profiles during the manual verification process to ensure that every person behind a profile is exactly who they claim to be.

    5. Tova Is Built for Total Privacy

    Privacy is hard coded into the app with specific technical barriers built in to keep your to keep your business your business. The app blocks screenshots and screen recordings, so your photos and conversations stay exactly where they belong. 

    Because Tova is a private and membership-only platform, user profiles are never indexed by Google or visible to the general public. You are only seen by other vetted members who have cleared the same verification process as you. 

    6. More Than a Dating App: Networking and Friendship

    While Tova is first and foremost a dating app, it recognizes that life in the diaspora requires a full support system. Because of this, the app is designed as a hybrid space where you can also find platonic friendships or professional collaborators. 

    Who Tova Is For (and Who It’s Not)

    Tova is built for the intentional African diaspora; people who are driven, culturally rooted, and doing the work to build a life they are proud of. We don’t define “professional” by a specific job title or a corporate rank. It’s for anyone who is ambitious and expects the same energy from the people they meet.

    Tova exists for people who know their worth and refuse to settle for “low-effort” connections found.

    That said, Tova isn’t a fit for everyone.

    Tova isn’t built for the casual browser or anyone just looking to kill time on a screen. If you prefer to stay anonymous or you’re simply not ready to invest in a real relationship or make meaningful connections, this isn’t the right fit for you. 

    How to Join Tova

    We don’t believe in the open door policy of mainstream apps. Getting on Tova is a deliberate process because we’re more interested in the quality of people than the number of app downloads. If you’re tired of wasted time and ready for more meaningful interactions, here is how to get started on Tova:

    1. Submit Your Application: Download the app on iOS or Android and tell us a bit about yourself.
    2. Get Verified: Our team manually reviews your profile and social links (LinkedIn, Instagram, or X) to make sure every member is a real person and most importantly, an African in the diaspora.
    3. Complete Profile Setup and Set Preferences: Once approved, choose your membership plan and set your preferences.
    4. Start Connecting

    Conclusion

    Tova was built for people who know that meaningful relationships don’t happen by accident. They’re shaped by shared values, cultural understanding, and the willingness to be intentional about who you let into your life.

    If you’re a professional in the diaspora who’s ready to meet someone your African mum will finally approve of you’re exactly who Tova was built for.

    Apply to join Tova

    Download for iOS | Download for Android

    FAQs About Tova Dating

    1. Is the Tova dating app safe?

    Yes. Safety is built into the platform through mandatory identity verification. Every member must link their LinkedIn, Instagram, or X profile, and our team manually reviews each application to prevent bots and catfish from entering the community. 

    2. How much does a Tova membership cost?

    Approved members can choose from monthly, 3-month, or 6-month plans, with membership fees from $10 -$40.

    3. Does Tova have a “no screenshot” policy?

    To protect the privacy of our professional members, the Tova app blocks screenshots and screen recordings. This ensures that your profile and private conversations stay within the community and are never shared or indexed by external search engines. 

    4. Can I use Tova for networking or to find friends?

    While Tova is a dating app first, it is designed for the entire diaspora experience. You can set your preferences to find platonic friendships or professional collaborators who share your cultural values and drive. 

    5. How does Tova match people without swiping?

    We’ve eliminated swipe fatigue by incorporating precision matching. Once you define your specific preferences such as heritage, age, professional background, or location, the app suggests profiles that meet your set criteria, saving you from endless, low-intent scrolling. 

    6. Which countries is Tova available in?

    Tova is a global village currently operating in over 33 countries. 

    (Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Unitesd Kingdom, United States of America.)

  • “Love,” Unfiltered: He tattooed my government name on his stomach — I broke up with him two weeks later

    I couldn’t live the rest of my life in a state of paranoia.

    When Tamilore* (23) first met Kofi* (33) on Instagram, it seemed like just another casual connection. But what started as flirtatious messages and easy dates slowly spiralled into a relationship filled with betrayal, manipulation, and impossible choices.

    In this story, she reflects on the shocking discoveries, the audacity of his actions, and the moment she realized she could no longer trust the man she once loved.

    How We Met

    Kofi and I met on Instagram in 2021. It was pretty random; he followed me one day out of the blue, and occasionally, he’d like my stories. Things never really kicked off between us until I replied to one of his stories.

    All I really remember is coming across a story of his where he said, “I never get the type of love that I give.” So naturally, I responded with “What type of love do you give?” After that, our conversation flowed pretty effortlessly.

    A week or two later, my birthday rolls around, and he sends me a couple of gifts and asks to meet up. Things didn’t work out on that day, but we eventually planned a movie date and met up for the very first time.

    Getting Together

    Honestly, it just kind of happened. I don’t remember there being any girlfriend “proposals” or anything special. There was nothing ceremonious about it. We had already been intimate at the time, we just kept on seeing each other, and before I knew it, whatever it was we were doing had a label.

    Things were great in the beginning. We loved spending time with each other, so we were together a lot. We’d lounge around in his apartment doing everything, and somehow nothing, we’d go on dates, spend weekends together, the works. 

    He was attentive in ways that felt thoughtful. Once, I shared a post on my story of a River Island bag with the caption “so cute,” and a few days later, I got a package delivered to my place. It was the bag. He planned dates, paid attention to what I liked, and gave cash gifts without making a show of it. At the time, it felt easy to trust him because his actions consistently showed up before his words ever had to.

    The Unraveling

    Coming into Kofi’s life, I was well aware that he had this female friend (Sofia*) who he was really close to, but I never gave it much thought because I had no reason to. However, curiosity got the best of me one day, and I went snooping. Safe to say, I found way more than I intended to. 

    Kofi travelled occasionally, and when he’d return, I’d go over to his place, and we’d spend the night together. On this particular occasion, he had just returned from a trip, and I was with him, but someone else kept blowing up his phone. Naturally, I was intrigued, so after he had gone to bed, I decided that it was time for curiosity to kill the cat.

    When I unlocked his phone, I realised it was none other than Sofia who was repeatedly texting, so I opened the chat and read through it. That’s when I found out that what Kofi and Sofia had was way more than an innocent friendship. Not only that, but Kofi was also simultaneously messing around with a couple of other people. 

    I felt betrayed. We had been together for three years. This was someone I loved, someone who, at the time, I could see myself settling down with, so to see how reckless and downright disrespectful he was being to what we had, broke me.

    What Happened Next

    I stayed. I couldn’t leave. I knew I had to, but I couldn’t bring myself to leave. The only thing was, I slowly started to check out mentally. 

    As time went on, I became distant. I could not stand the thought of being intimate with him or being with him, period, and he began to notice.  

    We had planned a trip prior to my discovery, and by the time I had fully come to terms with what I had to do, it was already around the corner, so I decided to wait. Luckily, some things came up, and we had to postpone our trip.

    I knew I couldn’t be with him anymore, so I took that as a sign to have the hard conversation. I sat Kofi down and told him everything I had found out— the real nature of his relationship with Sofia, the casual cheating, and even the girls he had flown out to meet him while he was away.

    Damage Control

    Kofi was super apologetic. He didn’t try to make excuses or justify his cheating. He begged me not to leave and promised to be better for me, for us. I don’t know if I did it out of my love for him or because I felt bad that he was going through a bit of a tough time when I sprung this conversation on him, but I decided to give things another try. 

    It was during this time that Kofi walked in on a random day with a tattoo of my full government name tattooed on his belly. I was dumbfounded, and I started to think about the gall of this man, who was probably still in contact with some of the girls he had cheated on me with, but somehow still had the audacity to sprawl my name across his stomach. 

    Having this thought pop up made me curious again, so while Kofi slept at night, I went through his phone again. 

    This time, I found nothing. I did notice that there was a girl he had been texting, but the texts were totally harmless, borderline innocent. 

    I broke up with Kofi two weeks after looking through his phone because, though I found nothing, that was proof to me that I could no longer trust him, and I can’t go the rest of my life constantly looking over my shoulder.