June 22 - Jhb South East

It’s for this reason, despite everything she and her team have faced, that Sugar
Bay founder Zoe Ellender remains steadfast in her decision to keep the camp
open.
“Our children need this now more than ever,” says Zoe, who started the camp 20
years ago. “The world is a very different place compared to when we first opened.
Children are so protected and spend too much time in front of screens. They
desperately need to connect, interact and socialise with each other.”
Learning to spend time away from their parents, too, is an important part of
their emotional development, she says. “What is amazing, is that it is usually the
anxious kids who gain the most from spending a week with us. The children who
are shy or nervous in the beginning are usually the ones who get on stage and
confidently share their stories around the campfire on our final nights.”
Based on the typical American-styled summer camp, Sugar Bay is the only
sleepover resort in South Africa that has been built and run for children only. No
parents are allowed!
Children travel from all around South Africa (and overseas) to spend a week or
two at a Sugar Bay holiday camp, where they make memories to last a lifetime.
Sugar Bay also offers school tours outside of the holiday seasons.
The camp is well-maintained and the kids sleep in wooden cabins nestled in a
forest-like setting. There are two or more counsellors assigned to each cabin (kids
are never left unsupervised) and boys’ and girls’ cabins are separate and secure
with campers divided according to their grade.
The professionally-engineered resort is comfortable, homey and very secure.
There is a 25m swimming pool with three waterslides, a soccer field, five-sided
climbing tower and obstacle and ropes courses. There is also a grand hall and
dining room area, an arts and crafts centre, indoor sport hall and a tuckshop.
Sugar Bay has private access to both the lagoon and beach - and all the water
toys required for loads of summer fun!
One of the highlights of a stay at Sugar Bay is definitely mealtime. The food is
nutritious and tasty and made completely with kids in mind. It’s quite amazing,
actually, to see how even the fussiest of eaters devour their breakfast, lunch and
dinner (and snacks in-between) and, best of all, how they all work together to
clean up their table and eating space afterwards.
The thing that stands out above all though (and likely one of the most important
aspects for parents), is the calibre of counsellors at Sugar Bay. Often students
on holiday or those taking a gap year, the counsellors have all been extensively
vetted and trained (in emergency first response and child psychology) and they
all love what they do.
“When I started the camp, I underestimated the impact the counsellors would
have on the kids,” says Zoe. “I’ve since realised that it’s not about having the best
SUP boards, skateboards and waterslides … it’s about the human interaction.”
All the counsellors are fully engaged and passionate and bring their own skills
and talents to the camp - which means there are always different classes and
activities on offer, from dancing and yoga to martial arts, crab catching and flower
identification.
Sugar Bay also recently launched a counsellor’s academy (a three-month master
class or 11-month gap year programme), where young adults gain useful
qualifications and experience with things like lifeguarding, scuba diving and
boating.
“I know that what we do is incredibly important and I believe one hundred
percent in all the benefits. I truly think that every child should go to camp at least
once in their lifetime,” says Zoe.
Details: www.sugarbay.co.za, 032 485 3778, holidays@sugarbay.co.za
Need to know:
Sugar Bay holiday camps (either 6, 7 or 12 days) are held during school holidays and each one has a different theme. The cost of
a one-week camp ranges between R6 499 and R8 499 (depending on the week), which includes access to more than 100 activities
(none are compulsory, the children decide what they want to do), three meals a day (and snacks), a strict 1:3 staff to child ratio,
three-star accommodation and loads more. Get It readers will receive a R1 000 discount if they book for any of the upcoming 2022
holiday camps.
June 2022 Get It Joburg South • Alberton • Bedfordview • Greenstone • Modderfontein 33
GIS0603_032_1278578346.indd 33 2022/05/19 09:03:30