Africa Wellness Initiative

MISSION: The Africa Wellness Initiative exists to unite, promote and advance the African Wellness Industry by connecting and building a network of practitioners, organizations, communities, researchers, industry leaders and policymakers who preserve indigenous wisdom, foster innovation, promote education and support research. The intention is to elevate and position Africa as a Leader in the Global Wellness Industry, as well as to create sustainable opportunities across the Wellness ecosystem of Africa.

VISION: A future where Africa is recognized as a global leader in wellness tourism, healing traditions and cutting edge scientific innovation, where wellness development strengthens communities, protects cultural heritage, restores ecosystems. We envision Africa not only being celebrated for its wellness traditions, but helping shape the future of global wellbeing.

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The Latest News and Resources

August 16, 2026

Where Africa Gathers : Wellness Festivals Retreats in Q3 2026-Q1 2027

April 17, 2026

Africa’s Role in the Global Longevity Revolution

April 3, 2026

Africa Wellness Initiative Trends for 2026

INITIATIVE RESOURCES INITIATIVE TRENDS INITIATIVE ARITCLES

Key Questions and Answers

Question 1: What are the goals of the Africa Wellness Initiative?
The Africa Wellness Initiative (AWI) is focused on four key goals: Uniting Africa’s wellness ecosystem by building a dynamic network of practitioners, healers, retreat operators, hospitality leaders, wellness brands, festivals, and organizations across the continent. Grow a thriving wellness community that brings together individuals, businesses, and advocates who are passionate about advancing and learning more about Africa’s wellness movement. Elevate Africa’s wellness leadership and visibility by connecting practitioners, organizations, showcasing the continent’s unique healing traditions, innovations, destinations, and contributions to global wellbeing. Catalyse investment, partnerships, and opportunities that support the sustainable growth of Africa’s wellness economy and create positive impact for communities across the continent.

Question 2: What is African Wellness?
Africa is a vast and diverse continent made up of 54 countries, over 3,000 ethnic groups, and more than 2,000 languages. Because of this diversity, African wellness is not a single system or practice, but a collective term that describes the holistic and interconnected ways wellbeing is understood across many African worldviews. While expressions vary across cultures, there are shared principles where Health and Wellbeing are treated as the connection between body, mind, spirit, ancestry and community rather than something to manage in isolation. Resources:

Question 3: How can traditional African healing practices be integrated into modern wellness spaces?
Across Africa, traditional healers and modern health systems are increasingly working side by side, from WHO-backed traditional medicine policy in countries like Ghana and South Africa, to programs training hairdressers in psychological first aid or grandmothers delivering free talk therapy in Zimbabwe. The aim isn’t replacement, but hybrid models where both strengthen wellbeing together. Done right, this integration centers ethical collaboration: preserving the knowledge, properly attributing it to the healers and communities it comes from, and ensuring they share in any benefit it creates, rather than the knowledge being borrowed or commercialized without credit. Resources: Pan African Medical Journal: Integrating Traditional Medicine Protecting Africa’s Traditional Knowledge — ARIPO’s Swakopmund Protocol UNESCO – Safeguarding Living Heritage⁠

Question 4: What role can wellness play in Africa’s economic development and tourism growth?
Africa’s health and wellness sector has the potential to create millions of jobs on the continent. Wellness tourism alone is one of the fastest-growing segments of African tourism, drawing travelers who stay longer and spend more than average. As wellness is one of the fastest-growing sectors of the global economy. Done responsibly and by investing in wellness tourism, hospitality, traditional medicine, beauty, agriculture, conservation, and preventative health, Africa has an opportunity to create jobs, attract visitors, support local entrepreneurs and generate sustainable economic growth while celebrating its unique cultural and natural assets. This growth would keep value and ownership within African communities rather than exporting it, turning wellness into a genuine engine for local economic development, not just an export industry. Resources:

Question 5: How can I support and/or be part of the African Wellness Initiative?
We welcome individuals and organizations that share our vision for advancing wellness across Africa and positioning Africa as a Global Leader in the Wellness Sector. You can: Join our growing community by subscribing to the African Wellness Journal on Substack and our LinkedIn newsletter (links below), and by following us on social media. Attend our webinars, events, and the annual Africa Wellness Summit. Become an affiliate partner if your organization aligns with our mission. Sponsor one of our ongoing projects, programes, events, or special initiatives to help expand our impact across the continent. Share our work with your network to help amplify African wellness stories, people, and initiatives. Collaborate with us through research, speaking opportunities, partnerships, or volunteering. Email us at [email protected] to learn more about partnership, sponsorship, affiliate, and collaboration opportunities. We’d love to hear from you:

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. Connect with me on LinkedIn.

Vice-Chair

Michelle Saudan, Founder & Facilitator, Amanzi Wellbeing, Dubai-Zimbabwe

Michelle Saudan is an African-centred wellness consultant whose work spans wellness strategy, brand identity, concept development and the integration of African indigenous knowledge systems, partnering with hotels, safari lodges, destination developers, tourism boards and wellness brands to shape distinctive wellness identities and experiences. She bridges over a decade of experience in the international wellness industry with a deep grounding in Southern African indigenous knowledge systems and hands-on experience facilitating healing practices, helping translate living traditions of wellbeing into contemporary wellness and hospitality with cultural integrity. In 2023–24, she was awarded the Global Wellness Summit’s Susie Ellis Scholarship for Equity in Wellness. At the heart of Michelle’s work is a commitment to ensuring that Africa’s indigenous knowledge systems are preserved and respected as living systems of wellbeing, with the elders, healers and knowledge keepers who carry them recognised as essential partners in shaping the future of wellness. Connect with me on LinkedIn.

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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.