The Tutu Fellows Self-Repair for Societal Repair Retreat, held from 28-31 August 2025, is a transformative experience designed for Tutu Fellows seeking space to introspect and heal, especially those who have faced significant personal challenges such as health crises, family struggles, reputational setbacks, career disruptions, burnout, or mental health battles. 

As Tutu Fellows, passionate about driving change across our continent, we recognize that collective repair begins with self-repair, a principle rooted in the legacy of our patron, Archbishop Desmond Tutu. 

Honoring his wisdom, this retreat was co-created by the Tutu Legacy Foundation, the African Leadership Institute, and Divine Indwelling to empower leaders to heal, restore, and lead with renewed purpose in a supportive and restorative environment.

As Tutu Fellows, you pour your heart and soul into leading and uplifting your communities, carrying their dreams and aspirations with unwavering commitment. Yet, the weight of personal trials, such as health struggles, family challenges, career setbacks, burnout, or mental health battles, can leave deep, often unseen scars. Without space to process, these wounds may unconsciously shape your leadership, influencing decisions in ways that feel misaligned with your purpose. 

This retreat is a sacred pause designed specifically for you, Tutu Fellows, to heal and rediscover your inner strength. It is a rare and meaningful gift to yourself, an act of love and renewal, offering a sacred pause to heal and rediscover your inner strength in a serene, winter-lit sanctuary. Set in the nurturing embrace of The Hydro in Stellenbosch, it is a holistic journey to reconnect your body, spirit, and soul with your heart, nature, and fellow Tutu Fellows.

It’s a deeply personal invitation to embrace The Courage to Heal, to peel back the layers of pain that cloud your vision, and to reconnect with the clarity, authenticity, and empathy that define your leadership. 

By investing in your own healing, you’ll unlock a renewed sense of purpose, amplifying your ability to lead with integrity and inspire others to transform the communities you serve.

The program, guided by experienced facilitators, is built on three transformative pillars: reconciliation, repairing broken systems, and re-imagining society.

Through these pillars, you’ll engage in courageous conversations, heartfelt storytelling, and peer-to-peer exchanges, drawing on ancestral African wisdom and spiritual technologies—such as rituals and communal practices—to uncover shared wisdom and foster solidarity. These transformative sessions are enriched by nurturing practices, including invigorating yoga, wholesome vegan and vegetarian meals, and soothing pampering, all designed to restore balance and rekindle vitality.

Anchored in The Courage to Heal, the retreat provides practical tools and an ecosystem of support to help you process past challenges, release burdens, and emerge whole. Intimate sessions foster vulnerability and growth, empowering you to lead with renewed purpose and a heart-centered vision. 

After these few days, you will leave rejuvenated, deeply connected to yourself and others, and inspired to lead with greater clarity, compassion, and inner strength, ready to transform your communities with a legacy as powerful as Archbishop Tutu’s.

The Hydro, South Africa’s Premier Health and Wellness Sanctuary, is nestled on the slopes above the breathtaking Stellenbosch Winelands, a cherished retreat for many of South Africa’s most esteemed citizens, globally recognized celebrities, and business leaders. 

In August, South Africa’s winter casts a gentle, introspective spell, with crisp air and soft light creating the perfect ambiance for going inward.

The Hydro’s tranquil gardens, warm interiors, and cozy spaces—think crackling fireplaces and soft blankets—provide a nurturing cocoon for reflection and healing. 

Surrounded by rolling vineyards and distant mountains, the venue’s natural beauty invites calm and contemplation, enhancing the restorative power of the programme. 

This winter setting, both grounding and inspiring, mirrors the retreat’s purpose: to foster deep inner work in a space that feels like a warm embrace, allowing you to reconnect with yourself and your purpose.

Website: https://thehydro.co.za/

Dear Tutu Fellows, you are driven by ambition to create transformative change and leave a lasting legacy, just as our revered patron, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, did as a historic icon and beacon of humanity. 

This retreat is your invitation to unlock that same potential within you. 

By courageously addressing personal wounds, whether from burnout, depression, or other trials, you will cultivate the moral courage and clarity to lead with unparalleled impact. 

This retreat invites you to honor the strength already within you, reclaim your joy, and lead with bold intention. As healed leaders, you will inspire and build whole communities, igniting a powerful ripple effect of justice, compassion, and equity across Africa and beyond. 

Embrace this opportunity to heal, grow, and step into your legacy as a transformative force for good, just as Archbishop Tutu did.

Join us at The Hydro in Stellenbosch for this life-affirming winter retreat, where personal healing becomes the foundation for societal renewal.

COST & ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS

Included

  • All retreat sessions (including 1 hour pre-retreat conversation), including courageous conversations, peer-to-peer exchanges, storytelling, and guided activities

  • Return transport from Cape Town to The Hydro (via bus)

  • 3 nights' accommodation at The Hydro, Stellenbosch

  • Three wholesome vegan/vegetarian meals daily, plus afternoon soup and refreshments

  • 1 x 45-minute hydrotherapy treatment

  • 1 x 60-minute Swedish full-body massage

  • 1 x 60-minute reflexology session

  • Daily yoga and meditation sessions, nature walk, Aquagym (if schedule allows)

Not Included

  • Travel to Cape Town, South Africa

  • Visas

  • Transport from Cape Town airport to the Tutu Legacy Foundation HQ

  • Transport from The Hydro to Cape Town airport

Meet your retreat Facilitators

  • Lai is a lawyer, political economist and public policy expert, working as an advisor to governments, the private sector, donors and development finance institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa, with particular expertise in infrastructure development, public private partnerships, energy sector reform and energy transitions.

    He was most recently Special Advisor to the Chief of Staff to President Tinubu and Senior Special Assistant to President Buhari in Nigeria. Prior to that he worked as Senior Policy Advisor to Raila Odinga in Kenya, in his role as African Union High Representative for Infrastructure Development, and was Coordinator of the Power Africa Senior Advisors Group, led by Tony Blair and Olusegun Obasanjo.

    He originally qualified as an attorney with Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy in London and New York, working on international project finance and securitisation transactions, and was a qualified solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales. 

    He received his BA(Hons) and MA from Balliol College, Oxford University and MSc in Business Economics. He is also a Yale World Fellow, Archbishop Tutu Leadership Fellow and was a member of the ONE.org Africa Policy Advisory Board. He was selected as one of the “New Leaders for Tomorrow” by the Crans Montana Forum and named one of the “25 Africans to Watch” by the Financial Times.

  • Janet Jobson is the Chief Executive Officer of the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation, where she drives their work on societal healing for peace and transformation.

    She joined the Foundation from a career in activism and in the development sector, both locally and globally.

    Previously, Janet was the Deputy CEO (and Acting CEO for the period Feb 2021 to Feb 2022) at the DG Murray Trust (DGMT). At DGMT Janet worked to grow the organization as a public innovator aiming to build a South Africa where all people can fulfil their potential.

    Alongside her overall organizational leadership, at DGMT Janet specifically led strategies focused on creating platforms for youth leadership networks, tackling school dropout and youth unemployment, and growing an innovative and inclusive society.

    Janet has held governance roles and worked in various capacities with a range of organizations such as Activate! Leadership, Amandla.mobi, Life Choices, Amnesty International South Africa, CIVICUS, and the South African Girl Child Alliance.

    Janet brings to her work a drive to build a more compassionate, connected, and just world, with the technical skills to build strategies to fulfil this vision.

    Janet completed a BA (Hons) degree in History at Rhodes University as a Mandela Rhodes Scholar.

    Her academic journey then took her to Oxford University, where she completed an MPhil in Development Studies as a Rhodes Scholar. In 2009-10 she was a Jeanne Sauvé Public Leadership Fellow based in Montreal, Canada.

  • A former Fortune 500 Executive, multi-award-winning Entrepreneur, Intuitive Healer, and seasoned Scholar and Spiritual Director in Interfaith/Interspiritual traditions

    Swaady Martin is a visionary leader bridging spirituality, business, and social impact. A former Fortune 500 executive turned entrepreneur and spiritual guide, she has dedicated her life to empowering individuals and communities. With a deep understanding of diverse religions, mysticism, and sacred scriptures, Swaady is a sought-after thought leader, wisdom keeper, and influential voice. Her work has garnered global recognition, including features on prominent magazine covers and prestigious awards such as the Forbes and Oprah Winfrey's O Power Lists for Africa. Committed to social justice and peace, Swaady is a powerful force for positive change, igniting both individual and collective transformation through her multifaceted endeavors.

and some Guest Facilitators…