Muizenberg welcomes Africa’s first beach hut sauna – a new wellness experience

Muizenberg is set to make history again with the launch of Africa’s first Beach Hut Sauna - a collaboration between the Beach Hut Trust, Hot Huts and the City of Cape Town.

The project, which opens on Monday, December 1, promises to bring together innovation, heritage and community in an entirely new way.

Angela Gorman, chairwoman of the Beach Hut Trust, said the initiative is “a perfect meeting point between tradition and innovation”, combining the internationally recognised beach huts with a modern wellness experience that is accessible to all.

Ms Gorman said Muizenberg was the natural home for this pilot project because the area “has always been a place of firsts”, from surf culture to beachside recreation. After Covid-19, the Trust was formed to preserve the iconic huts and “keep them relevant and meaningful to today’s community.”

A sauna built inside a heritage beach hut, she explained, allows them to bring something entirely new to Africa while honouring more than a century of history.

“People are looking for accessible wellness experiences, and the City has been open to imaginative pilot projects that bring positive energy to public spaces,” she said.

The Beach Hut Sauna is a City-approved pilot project overseen by the Parks and Recreation Department. The City reviewed the proposal, ensured heritage considerations were respected and granted permission to use one double hut for a trial period.

According to Ms Gorman, the City remains closely involved to ensure safety, compliance and alignment with the wider vision for the beachfront.

“The Trust acts as custodian of the huts,” she said, while Hot Huts brings technical and operational expertise in running safe, well-regulated public saunas. Feedback will be monitored throughout the pilot to assess long-term potential.

Hot Huts will manage all pricing, which will match their normal mobile sauna rates. A portion of monthly revenue will go directly to the Beach Hut Trust and is ring-fenced for hut maintenance and restoration - including paint, materials, repairs and security.

“In other words,” Ms Gorman explained, “every sauna session helps preserve a piece of Cape Town’s heritage.”

The sauna will be constructed within a double hut, utilising imported high-quality sauna wood and fire-retardant materials. The hut structures themselves are made from Nutec, which is also fire-resistant.

Safety has been a key priority. The installation includes: a Trellidor-style shutter for protection at night, a professionally installed chimney and ventilation, and purpose-built wooden interiors designed for sauna temperatures.

Security teams, including Quemic, regularly patrol the beachfront and are supportive of the initiative, Ms Gorman added.

The project is expected to bring wide-ranging benefits to Muizenberg.

Ms Gorman said saunas have proven wellness advantages, including stress reduction, improved circulation, muscle recovery and mental health support.

Making this experience available in a community space rather than an exclusive hotel “gives absolutely everyone access”.

She said the initiative will also drive the ongoing revitalisation of Muizenberg, bringing positive activity to the beachfront, supporting local businesses and strengthening the area’s identity as a vibrant, creative and wellness-oriented community.

“Saunas create connection,” she said.

“People talk, reflect and meet others - often strangers - in a calm, restorative space. It’s a rare kind of community-builder, and something new for Muizenberg.”