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Luxury ethical spa brand Terres d’Afrique has seen rapid expansion in its first years of business. CEO and co-founder Stephan Helary explains how the company has now transitioned to creating bespoke spa experiences from concept to completion
Helary has created a spa brand driven by his passion for ethnobotany, sustainability and fair trade
What’s your background? I grew up in Madagascar, surrounded by nature and medicinal plants. Later I trained as a vet in Belgium, and completed a Masters in Environment and Wildlife Management. I’ve always been passionate about conservation and was offered an opportunity to join a government agricultural project in Namibia. From there I did a PhD in the nutritional ecology of the black rhino.
What brought you to the world of skincare? Once I’d achieved my dream of working in conservation I realised I needed another career path that would allow me to continue working in South Africa. So I decided to use my passion for ethnobotany and create my own luxury skincare brand. I saw an opportunity for an ethical, fair trade product using African ingredients that would fit well with the needs of Western wellness markets.
My previous experiences have really helped develop the business. I have a science background so know how the skin works; I have a development background that allows me to understand the supply chain and the challenges of working with indigenous plants. I also respect the livelihoods of the farmers.
What’s the ethos behind Terres D’Afrique? Africa talks to the imagination, to the spirit, to all the senses, and this is what we aim to encapsulate in all Terres d’Afrique products and experiences. All our botanical ingredients are uniquely African – many being ancient tribal remedies – that are combined into potent formulations underpinned by science.
As a company, we abide by the African humanist philosophy of Ubuntu – ‘I am because you are’ – made famous by the likes of Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
It’s about balance and ensuring a healthy ecosystem – one that creates value for the community as a whole.
When did you first start working with global spas? We had originally planned to focus on the luxury African safari market but five years ago the market at that time was not as receptive to our passion for sustainability. We did our first overseas exhibition in Dubai in 2013 and had an overwhelming response, perhaps because our African botanical brand was so unique. We secured our first international deal – with Four Seasons Mauritius – and expanded rapidly from there.
What services do you offer spas and resorts? We’ve evolved from developing African wellness products and treatments into a company that can create and deliver a full spa concept. We research deeply into the history, climate, culture and food of an area to create bespoke concepts.
For our recent collaboration with Four Seasons Desroches in the Seychelles we created the holistic concept called the Circle of Connection spa.
The spa offers are highly experiential. For example, taking inspiration from the colours of the islands through the cycle of the day, one treatment uses flowers in the bath, different crystals and visual meditations and sound therapy to take guests on a journey linked to elements of the sea, the beach, the forest, and night sky. It’s multi-sensorial.
You talk about the seven dimensions of wellness – how do these apply to a spa project? These dimensions are the physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, environmental, occupational and social. The first three are relatively easy to address in the spa.
For intellectual activities we can create learning opportunities such as an educational spa garden. For environmental, it’s about creating opportunities for guests to interact with nature.
For the social element, which can be lacking in many spas, we create concepts such as opening and closing ceremonies, where guests have the opportunity to come together and get to know each other through group activities.
The occupational is the only element we can’t address in the spa but we can teach people ways to cope with the stress of an unsuitable job.
What projects are you currently working on? We have many exciting projects in the pipeline – including launching the new menu at Four Seasons Serengeti, Luxury Collection in Aqaba and other exclusive properties in Africa such as Delaire Graff Lodge and Spa in South Africa and Miavana in Madagascar. We’re working on future collaborations with Four Seasons Marrakech, Kempinski in Ghana, Kenya and Jordan and Park Hyatt in Zanzibar.
What are your plans for the next few years? After a period of rapid growth, we spent a year restructuring the business and now we’re ready for further expansion. We’re developing new luxury amenities that will be mood-based (relaxation, detox, energy etc) and relaunching our collection of award-winning African teas. We’re setting up trading in Morocco as a new market and will look to enter the EU by 2020.
What excites you about the current direction of the spa market? I’m happy to see luxury five-star hotel brands now embracing wellness concepts. Some brands have been quite conservative in their spa menus but this is changing. Customers are also having the option to eat healthier food.
I’d love to see more brands incorporating the idea of a digital detox. People think they’re disconnecting when they go to a spa but mostly they’re not. A retreat where guests can only use the internet for an hour a day would be highly beneficial.
I’d also like to see more spas embracing holistic modalities like vibrational therapy.
So less focus on beauty, and more focus on wellness.
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Promotional feature: Terres d’Afrique - Out of Africa
Luxury ethical spa brand Terres d’Afrique has seen rapid expansion in its first years of business. CEO and co-founder Stephan Helary explains how the company has now transitioned to creating bespoke spa experiences from concept to completion
Promotional feature: The Madison Collection - Holistic sustainability
The Madison Collection is committed to creating high-quality hotel and spa linens while at the same time protecting the environment, promoting workplace wellness and supporting clean water rights. Owner Charmaine T Lang and Gilad Lang, vice president of business development, tell us more
Wellness: Staying well
Spa Business takes a look at how some of the world’s biggest hotel operators are addressing the new trend of ‘wellness rooms’
Promotional feature: Biologique Recherche - Pioneering Personalisation
More than 40 years ago, Parisian skincare brand Biologique Recherche was founded, with a focus on research and personalisation. Co-chairs Rupert Schmid and Pierre-Louis Delapalme discuss what’s made the brand so successful – and where the future will take them
Thermal spa: Mountain therapy
Bad Ragaz’s new CEO Patrick Vogler tells Kath Hudson about his new ambitions for the famous Swiss spa resort
In the fast-paced world of fitness and wellness, where high-intensity workouts push us to
our limits and the sweat pours, the importance of efficient recovery cannot be overstated. [more...]
Luxury ethical spa brand Terres d’Afrique has seen rapid expansion in its first years of business. CEO and co-founder Stephan Helary explains how the company has now transitioned to creating bespoke spa experiences from concept to completion
Helary has created a spa brand driven by his passion for ethnobotany, sustainability and fair trade
What’s your background? I grew up in Madagascar, surrounded by nature and medicinal plants. Later I trained as a vet in Belgium, and completed a Masters in Environment and Wildlife Management. I’ve always been passionate about conservation and was offered an opportunity to join a government agricultural project in Namibia. From there I did a PhD in the nutritional ecology of the black rhino.
What brought you to the world of skincare? Once I’d achieved my dream of working in conservation I realised I needed another career path that would allow me to continue working in South Africa. So I decided to use my passion for ethnobotany and create my own luxury skincare brand. I saw an opportunity for an ethical, fair trade product using African ingredients that would fit well with the needs of Western wellness markets.
My previous experiences have really helped develop the business. I have a science background so know how the skin works; I have a development background that allows me to understand the supply chain and the challenges of working with indigenous plants. I also respect the livelihoods of the farmers.
What’s the ethos behind Terres D’Afrique? Africa talks to the imagination, to the spirit, to all the senses, and this is what we aim to encapsulate in all Terres d’Afrique products and experiences. All our botanical ingredients are uniquely African – many being ancient tribal remedies – that are combined into potent formulations underpinned by science.
As a company, we abide by the African humanist philosophy of Ubuntu – ‘I am because you are’ – made famous by the likes of Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
It’s about balance and ensuring a healthy ecosystem – one that creates value for the community as a whole.
When did you first start working with global spas? We had originally planned to focus on the luxury African safari market but five years ago the market at that time was not as receptive to our passion for sustainability. We did our first overseas exhibition in Dubai in 2013 and had an overwhelming response, perhaps because our African botanical brand was so unique. We secured our first international deal – with Four Seasons Mauritius – and expanded rapidly from there.
What services do you offer spas and resorts? We’ve evolved from developing African wellness products and treatments into a company that can create and deliver a full spa concept. We research deeply into the history, climate, culture and food of an area to create bespoke concepts.
For our recent collaboration with Four Seasons Desroches in the Seychelles we created the holistic concept called the Circle of Connection spa.
The spa offers are highly experiential. For example, taking inspiration from the colours of the islands through the cycle of the day, one treatment uses flowers in the bath, different crystals and visual meditations and sound therapy to take guests on a journey linked to elements of the sea, the beach, the forest, and night sky. It’s multi-sensorial.
You talk about the seven dimensions of wellness – how do these apply to a spa project? These dimensions are the physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, environmental, occupational and social. The first three are relatively easy to address in the spa.
For intellectual activities we can create learning opportunities such as an educational spa garden. For environmental, it’s about creating opportunities for guests to interact with nature.
For the social element, which can be lacking in many spas, we create concepts such as opening and closing ceremonies, where guests have the opportunity to come together and get to know each other through group activities.
The occupational is the only element we can’t address in the spa but we can teach people ways to cope with the stress of an unsuitable job.
What projects are you currently working on? We have many exciting projects in the pipeline – including launching the new menu at Four Seasons Serengeti, Luxury Collection in Aqaba and other exclusive properties in Africa such as Delaire Graff Lodge and Spa in South Africa and Miavana in Madagascar. We’re working on future collaborations with Four Seasons Marrakech, Kempinski in Ghana, Kenya and Jordan and Park Hyatt in Zanzibar.
What are your plans for the next few years? After a period of rapid growth, we spent a year restructuring the business and now we’re ready for further expansion. We’re developing new luxury amenities that will be mood-based (relaxation, detox, energy etc) and relaunching our collection of award-winning African teas. We’re setting up trading in Morocco as a new market and will look to enter the EU by 2020.
What excites you about the current direction of the spa market? I’m happy to see luxury five-star hotel brands now embracing wellness concepts. Some brands have been quite conservative in their spa menus but this is changing. Customers are also having the option to eat healthier food.
I’d love to see more brands incorporating the idea of a digital detox. People think they’re disconnecting when they go to a spa but mostly they’re not. A retreat where guests can only use the internet for an hour a day would be highly beneficial.
I’d also like to see more spas embracing holistic modalities like vibrational therapy.
So less focus on beauty, and more focus on wellness.
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Promotional feature: Terres d’Afrique - Out of Africa
Luxury ethical spa brand Terres d’Afrique has seen rapid expansion in its first years of business. CEO and co-founder Stephan Helary explains how the company has now transitioned to creating bespoke spa experiences from concept to completion
Promotional feature: The Madison Collection - Holistic sustainability
The Madison Collection is committed to creating high-quality hotel and spa linens while at the same time protecting the environment, promoting workplace wellness and supporting clean water rights. Owner Charmaine T Lang and Gilad Lang, vice president of business development, tell us more
Wellness: Staying well
Spa Business takes a look at how some of the world’s biggest hotel operators are addressing the new trend of ‘wellness rooms’
Promotional feature: Biologique Recherche - Pioneering Personalisation
More than 40 years ago, Parisian skincare brand Biologique Recherche was founded, with a focus on research and personalisation. Co-chairs Rupert Schmid and Pierre-Louis Delapalme discuss what’s made the brand so successful – and where the future will take them
Thermal spa: Mountain therapy
Bad Ragaz’s new CEO Patrick Vogler tells Kath Hudson about his new ambitions for the famous Swiss spa resort
A recent survey by the UK Spa Association (UKSA) into the industry’s approach to cancer care
has revealed that almost half of participating respondents (46 per cent) are unaware that
cancer is a disability and guests with a cancer diagnosis must be given
Mexican operator, Solmar Hotels and Resorts, is hosting a series of events in celebration of
Global Wellness Day, including a Temazcal ceremony at its Playa Grande Resort and Spa in Los
Cabos.
Mandarin Oriental has announced a standalone residence brand, Mansions, which will debut at
Emirates Palace, Mandarin Oriental Mansions, Abu Dhabi, in 2029.
Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai in Hoi An, Vietnam, has put together a Global Wellness Day
(GWD) agenda with activations rooted in nature and shaped by four pillars of Joy – in
alignment with the day’s theme #JoyMagenta.
The Global Wellness Summit (GWS) will celebrate its 20th anniversary at the 2026 event in
Phuket, Thailand, later this year with the theme: The Science, Art and Soul of Wellness.
Auko, an all-inclusive development, is opening in Phong Nha in Vietnam in Q3 2026, with a
series of 30 tented eco-lodges and wellness hospitality operations by Lumina Wellbeing.
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions
that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once
complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK.
Naples Beach Club, a Four Seasons Resort, has opened a 2,800sq m spa called The Sanctuary,
with the design and concept inspired by the Native American people that populated Florida’s
Southwest coast – the Calusa.
Swire Hotels’ luxury hospitality brand Upper House has revealed it will roll out its two-day
House of Healing retreats at its three hotels in Hong Kong, Chengdu and Shanghai.
In the fast-paced world of fitness and wellness, where high-intensity workouts push us to
our limits and the sweat pours, the importance of efficient recovery cannot be overstated. [more...]
