Myraka Project — Magaliesburg, South Africa

Regenerative hospitality & community project — Oct-Dec 2025

Minimalist white dragonfly logo with a circle in the background, for Myraka Sanctuaries, against a textured green and brown gradient background.

Myraka was a three-month, hands-on project carried out in the Magaliesburg mountains, a landscape shaped by rivers, wildlife, and ancient rock formations.

The opportunity emerged through my friendship with Shanti, a long-time steward of the land with a deep commitment to regenerative living and community care.

Our collaboration was grounded in trust, shared values, and respect for the place itself.

Nature played an active role throughout the project.

The river nearby, the surrounding hikes, and the presence of animals shaped the rhythm of the work and informed how spaces were designed and used.

Four people smiling and standing close together outdoors near a wooden house.

Scope of the project

Over this period, I worked closely on:

  • Maintenance, small repairs, and space optimisation

  • Gardening, land care, and outdoor space activation

  • Reorganising cleaning, maintenance, and on-site workforce

  • Improving operational flow, cost structure, and profitability

  • Creating a clear business WhatsApp system and guest communication flow

  • Developing a simple brand identity (logo, flyers, business cards)

  • Integrating art, crafts, and creative elements into spaces and common areas

  • Supporting a shift from “accommodation” to “sanctuary” mindset

The focus was not expansion, but coherence, helping what already existed function more smoothly, feel more welcoming, and remain sustainable over time.

A large, balanced rock formation in a desert landscape with four people nearby, two standing and two sitting, under a partly cloudy sky.

From houses to sanctuaries

Each house was approached as its own environment, with attention to flow, atmosphere, and relationship to nature.

The emphasis was on:

  • calm, functional interiors

  • gardens and outdoor presence

  • simplicity and warmth

  • spaces suited for rest, couples, creatives, and longer stays

Small, intentional changes reshaped the overall experience.

A small, A-frame house with a stone porch and black railings, surrounded by trees, under a partly cloudy sky.

Community & holistic framework

Alongside the physical and operational work, we explored a light community and holistic offering framework, including:

  • mapping potential healing, movement, and creative offerings

  • identifying how spaces could host sessions or small gatherings

  • creating moments of shared meals, reflection, and connection

This phase remained intentionally open, focused on exploration rather than formalization.

Minimalist white outline of a dragonfly with a circle behind it, over a textured background, with the words 'Myraka Sanctuaries' below.

A grounded collaboration

Myraka was shaped through direct involvement, working on the land, in the houses, and with the people involved.

It became a practical learning ground for:

  • regenerative hospitality

  • embodied leadership

  • creative place-making

  • small-scale ecosystem design

Rugged rocky landscape with patches of grass and shrubs, a small water pool in foreground, distant hills under cloudy sky.

This project continues to inform how I approach land, systems, and community, and forms part of the foundation of Lumina Rise.