Field of Dreams

An easy 45-minute drive from Harare in Melfort, Wild Day Spa offers a unique mix of luxury and nature. Tucked away on a private nature reserve, complete with impala and zebra grazing peacefully nearby, it’s unlike any spa you’ve ever visited.

Opened in May 2022, the spa is the brainchild of friends Namenge Ndebele and Jos Janisch. The idea was to combine the healing power of massage with the tranquility of the Zimbabwean savannah, but without compromising on luxury.
“The bush is just so beautiful. I’ve always thought it would be so nice to have a massage while sitting under a tree, listening to the birds and hearing the grasses moving,” says Jos.

So instead of getting a treatment indoors accompanied by the sound of tinkly bells and chanting on repeat, guests at this spa have their massages under trees or in beautifully designed, secluded tented “stations”, accompanied only by the sounds of nature. Everything — from the plush chairs and fluffy towels, to the locally sourced oils and stylish wooden bowls holding warm water — radiates luxury and good taste.
Guests can choose from a full day at the spa, which includes five treatments, breakfast and lunch, or a half day which includes three treatments and either breakfast or lunch.

On arrival, guests receive a beautifully handwritten “massage map” detailing the order in which their treatments will be given. On offer are hand and foot therapies, Indian head and shoulders massage, face massage, full-body massage and full-body exfoliation.

The food is fresh, simple and exquisitely presented. Breakfast is yoghurt, berries, granola, warm croissants and the obligatory green juice and weapons-grade ginger shot. For lunch, expect a choice of wholesome soups, cheese platters and fresh bread. A selection of wine, along with tea and coffee, is also available throughout the day.

While Wild Day Spa certainly succeeds when it comes to pampering guests with blissful treatments and amazing food, it has another important core mission: to empower women living in the local community by hiring and training them as massage therapists.

“We put out a call locally and we were inundated, so we hired people based on our gut feeling,” says Namenge. “They didn’t need to have any experience, we wanted people who gave off a good vibe, who seemed caring by nature.”

The spa currently employs 14 women, all of whom have been through six months of rigorous massage training as well as classes in hospitality, budget management and communication.
This new profession has proved a lifeline for the women, many of whom were struggling to earn a living in the wake of COVID.

This is something which Florence, the hand and foot therapist, knows only too well. She and her husband used to make money selling curios to tourists until the pandemic struck and sales dried up. But by chance she heard rumours that a new spa was looking for employees and she decided to apply. The decision saved her, she says. “This job is a dream come true. I love being a masseuse, meeting different types of people, I love chatting to them.”

This job has also transformed the life of Noria, the masseuse in charge of the full body treatments: it has enabled her to provide for her two young children after she lost her husband in 2020. “When my husband died, I thought, ‘What am I going to do with these children?’ Life was hard for me but I can now pay school fees and do everything.” She loves her job: “It is my calling,” she says.

For guests, the Spa Day ends at 3.30pm. It may be a short drive back to the city, but after six hours at the spa, it feels like entering a different world. Wild Day Spa is indeed a special place and one not quickly forgotten.

Wild Day Spa is open from Thursday to Sunday inclusive. Other days can be booked by appointment for a minimum of four people.

Words by Sophie Edwards
Photographs by Lesanne Dunlop

Call: +263 787 071 360.
Instagram: @wilddayspa

FIELD OF DREAMS