Africa Wellness Initiative
The Africa Wellness Initiative (AWI) aims to promote African wellness through strengthening wellness institutions, training and human resources development. Together with the GWI, we aim to build a database of wellness operators, practitioners, and indigenous skills for the benefit of Africa and the global wellness industry. The AWI will also help record, develop, and protect the unique skills and indigenous knowledge by promoting a culture of African-inspired knowledge-sharing within the global billion-dollar wellness industry. This is key for a continent that has so much to offer the global wellness arena.
The Latest News and Resources
Objectives
The Initiative will include the innovative use and promotion of indigenous African plants, robust programs, and events to build up a strong educational and entrepreneurial spirit within the African spa and wellness industry, as well as help strengthen the industry in terms of standards and accreditation within Africa.
Initiative Leadership
Initiative Chair
Mariane Akwenye, Managing Director, Nomad Group, Namibia
Mariane Akwenye, visionary founder of Nomad, an ecosystem of curated health and wellness offerings with a deep passion for culture and holistic well-being. With over two decades of experience, Mariane established the award-winning Nomad Wellness Homestead and Makai product line. She specializes in ancestry-inspired cultural wellness consultancy and has made her mark in high-end spa resorts across Southern Africa. Through her social enterprise, Mariane empowers undervalued women, particularly those with visual impairment, with essential skills for careers in the health and wellness industry. Transitioning from Namibia’s first black female commercial pilot to a Wellness Entrepreneur, Mariane now advocates for Wellness Tourism in her home country. Committed to inclusivity and promoting African heritage in wellness solutions, she is a pioneer and advocate of African wellness.
Vice-Chair
Michelle Saudan, Founder & Facilitator, Amanzi Wellbeing, Dubai-Zimbabwe
With over a decade of experience in the global wellness industry and journeys across more than 70 countries, she considers herself a global citizen, yet remains, first and always, a proud African. As the founder of Amanzi Wellbeing, Michelle is guided by the foundation that healing is both personal and collective. Her work is rooted in a vision: to help restore wholeness through collective healing, and to reconnect the world to Africa via the sacred landscapes and wisdom – while nurturing healing for her local community in Southern Africa. As the Vice Chair of the Africa Wellness Initiative under the Global Wellness Institute, she advocates for the elevation and reclamation of traditional wellness practices, cultural preservation and Africa’s growth as a leader in wellness globally. In 2023/4 she was honored to receive the Susie Ellis Scholarship for Equity in Wellness from the Global Wellness Summit. A recognition that deepened her commitment to inclusivity and accessibility in the global wellness landscape.
Initiative Members
Meet the renowned thought leaders in this field who are collaborating to educate and evolve wellness in this area of global importance.
Resources
View the research, trends, whitepapers, infographics and more from this Initiative, as well as a curated list of third party resources.
Contact Initiative
Please fill out the form so we can learn more about you, which Initiative you are interested in and how you would like to be involved.
