Vision

The Masiyembo Association is a thriving, cohesive and collaborative group of professional outdoor guides and facilitators that utilise direct experience to revitalise people's relationship with earth and each other.

Specifically, we are:

1) Bonded by a commitment to care, contribute and deeply connect with all life.

2) Motivated by a desire to genuinley learn and share our passion, experiences and knowledge.

3) Inspired to create more opportunities for people to find optimal health and wellbeing through nature.

ABOUT OUR MEMBERSHIP

Mission

As the Masiyembo Association, we strive to:

1. Create rich opportunities and experiences for people to find meaning and wellbeing through nature - for the benefit of society, humanity and, ultimately, the future of earth. #NatureForAll

2. Establish a dynamic peer-driven standard for facilitated nature experiences that allows people to reawaken, remember and rediscover their connectedness with all life. #RememberingOurNature

We do this by:

1. Encouraging embodied engagement with our natural surrounds. We invite slowing down and opening up the senses to allow for rich immersive experiences.

2. Learning with nature, not only about nature. We embrace animate nature as mirror, medium and medicine for holistic psycho-social wellbeing.

3. Advocating for nature connectedness as fundamental to public health and social cohesion. We commit time and funds toward nature experiences for disadvantaged communities.

~ ~ ~ ~

"Masiyembo" is a Xhosa word that simply translates as: "[Let's go] back to our roots".

“T’cik’xam” is the equivalent in Khoe (Khwedam) and translates as: “Onthou ons stam”

Yet as several traditional elders/healers have shared, it has a deeper resonant meaning - a profound remembering of the human spirit and our origins within nature.

"Come... let’s go there, let’s go back to that special place where we remember our ancestors, our humanity, and where we are warmly welcomed by one another.

Let's bring that back into awareness." ~ Mncedisi

Objectives

Diverse

Leveraging a diversity of members, networks, and expertise to offer diverse nature experiences for a diversity of South Africans and visitors.

Meaningful

Co-creating and facilitating immersive walks, trails, bushcamps, retreats and discovery journeys that reawaken sensory awareness, connection and belonging.

Unified Voice

Enabling joint advocacy and outreach with clear messaging around humanity’s need to “remember our nature” in order to rediscover our belonging with Earth and each other.

Shared Ethos

Fostering a peer-endorsed “Masiyembo Ethos” as a new standard for the nature experience sector that supports health and wellbeing through connection and community.

Collaborative

Facilitating collaboration between members to support skills and knowledge exchange, and access to funding opportunities and relevant resources.

If you value the same, then join us for an experience. Become a member. Connect.

Authentic

We believe in authentic engagement with our surrounds. We believe in slowing down and opening up to sensory-rich meaningful experiences. We believe in learning with nature, not just about nature. We believe in being…present to life.

Connected

We cultivate immersive experiences that allow us to fully feel and creatively express our relationship with earth. We seek out those ineffable moments that remind us we are truly alive and part of all that is. We understand that connectedness matters.

Experienced

We are a dedicated group of seasoned nature guides outdoor facilitators doing things differently. We are committed to utilising our cumulative experience to help reawaken people's curiosity for earth and spark for life.

Committed

We are bonded by a commitment to the health and wellbeing of all life on earth. We are motivated by a genuine desire to share our collective passion and wisdom with you, all South Africans, and the world.

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