Cultivating a culture of wellness

Image credit: Emma Simpson on Unsplash

Nature reserves offer opportunities for people to improve their physical and mental health through nature-based activities.

The collaborative partnership is built around the department’s wellness approach, leveraging the Western Cape on Wellness (WoW) initiative, which aims to empower communities to live a healthy lifestyle while cultivating a strong connection with the environment.

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Culture of wellness

“This partnership helps facilitate the co-creation of a culture of wellness in the Western Cape, where all citizens are enabled to be healthy, active, connected and thriving with the natural world,” said Dr Keith Cloete, head of the Department of Health and Wellness.

“By connecting wellbeing with the natural environment, we are mobilising wellness dimensions such as physical and mental health while encouraging people to reconnect with the outdoors, a powerful antidote to navigating complexity, stress and improving healthy lifestyles. Connection and partnership contribute to enabling children to start well, ensuring adults can live well and strengthening environments for older people to age well.”

Through the peak summer season in December 2024 and January 2025, there was an influx of visitors to CapeNature-managed reserves, with over 146,550 overnight and day visitors passing through many reserve gates.

The recent increase in visitor numbers across CapeNature’s reserves is indicative of the growing demand for nature-based experiences post-Covid-19. A clear indication that people are prioritising their health and wellness, as well as spending time outdoors.

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A natural fit

The Department of Health and Wellness will support CapeNature through awareness initiatives, mobilising health professionals, offering WoW training, and providing further opportunities to CapeNature teams, such as first aid and learn-to-swim courses.

In parallel, trained WoW champions from the community may be granted complimentary access to specified nature reserve sites in the Western Cape. Collaborative opportunities may include supporting community clean-ups and wellness incentives, where possible.

“This partnership is a natural fit for CapeNature,” said CapeNature CEO Dr Ashley Naidoo. “Spending time in nature has proven benefits for both mental and physical well-being. By connecting our reserves with wellness initiatives, we’re encouraging people to get outside and move more to create healthier communities while also learning to value and experience the environment around them.”

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The partnership pools resources and expertise to drive sustainable, community-led wellness across the Western Cape to foster a culture of wellness in the province.