Creating the exceptional camp

Sugar Bay Resort is a holiday camp for kids and teens located on the Dolphin Coast of Kwa-Zulu Natal. The camp has been running for the past sixteen years and has improved with every passing year. 

We recently spoke with Sugar Bay’s camp director, Zoe Ellender, to find out how she envisioned the summer camp concept and in turn, created the exceptional camp. 
 
Ellender shared that it all began with her unhappiness practicing as an attorney. She disliked the unhappy environment where the more miserable clients were, the more money you made. She engaged in some deep soul searching after her realization that her career was too negative for her, and, with the aid of a life coach, was lead into discovering what her passions were. “I love the beach, I love children, I love the sun and hate England, events management, sports, especially ocean sports, teaching, and planning and going on holiday”, she said as her face lit up with glee. 
 
“When I discovered my passions, it was a eureka moment after a period of months of being introspective. I put all these things together and this was how I came about the idea of a summer camp for kids”, she added. 

Ellender was motivated to put her idea into action after intense researching. She began by watching camp inspired movies, such as “The Parent Trap”. She spent most of her days chatting to summer camp staff that had been to America and gained lots of knowledge from them. She then discovered that in 1999, there were already fifteen thousand summer camps in America, however, none in South Africa, which was proof that she could transform her passion into a successful business. 
 
“Most camps that I researched focused on large groups at a time. I, however, wanted my camp to specialize in an individual and not just in a group. The main focus of my business idea was to offer individual attention, fun holidays, and free choices. I personally believe that children respond better to choices and it can make a great difference in how they react to certain restraints”, she said. 
 
Something that greatly assisted Ellender in creating the exceptional camp was wise words from her dad. “My dad always said; “Go big”, and I did. In order to do so, I had to borrow money from the bank and do it well from the start. Thereafter, from one-hundred kids, I doubled to hosting two-hundred kids, I was able to purchase the best equipment and offer a variety of activities, which all contributed to creating the exceptional camp” she told us. 

Ellender went on to say; “I often have debrief sessions with all the counselors who have been to America. We discuss in-depth, the staff training manual, the menu, activities offered there, etc. Matching these standards or bettering them also assisted in creating the perfect camp environment.”

When asked what would be the most important thing to consider when creating the perfect camp, she answered; “To be able to take reasonable risks. Not to panic.” She elaborated by sharing how she is often questioned by people on how she handles being responsible for so many people and discussed that fear often discourages people from following their dreams. 
 
“Sugar Bay offers many sporting activities in the ocean, and that is a good example of taking a risk. However, in order to prevent the fear that comes from this risk, it is necessary to ensure that there are steps in place to prevent kids from drowning. Once you’ve done that, there is no need to panic”, she explained. 
 
“I know my camp is the best kid’s summer camp in South Africa. I know this because our campers keep coming back to camp. The hardest to convince are parents of campers who have never been to camp. Should any camper not want to come back to camp, I will find out why and fix it. Based on these principles is how I created the exceptional camp”, Ellender said in conclusion with confidence. 

 
Follow us on Pinterest and check out our exciting boards all about camp.