When I think about Sugar Bay turning 25, I do not first think about buildings, activity schedules or camp themes.
I think about children.
I think about the child who arrives quietly, unsure of where to stand, and leaves a week later with a nickname, a best friend and a story they cannot wait to tell in the car. I think about the campers who came to Sugar Bay years ago and are now parents themselves. I think about the children who have grown up with us, returning each school holiday a little taller, a little braver, a little more themselves.
Twenty-five years is a long time in the life of a place. In the life of a child, it is a whole generation.
Sugar Bay began with a simple but deeply felt belief: children need places where they can be children. Not perfect. Not polished. Not always watched through the lens of performance. Just free to play, try, laugh, make friends, get sandy, get tired, wake up excited and feel part of something.
Long before Sugar Bay opened its doors, I found myself thinking back to my own childhood holidays. The happiest memories were not complicated or expensive. They were the days spent outdoors with cousins, climbing, exploring, building, imagining and being busy until the sun went down. There was a freedom in those days that stayed with me.
Years later, after realising that my legal career was not where my heart belonged, I kept coming back to that feeling. I wanted to create a place where children in South Africa could experience the kind of holiday that gave them more than entertainment. A holiday that gave them confidence, friendship, independence and memories they could carry for years.
That dream became Sugar Bay.
In 2001, Sugar Bay opened in Zinkwazi Beach on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast. At the time, the idea of an American-style children’s holiday camp was still unfamiliar to many South African families. Parents knew school camps. They knew family holidays. They knew the usual school holiday juggle. But a children-only sleepover camp, built around choice, friendship, outdoor adventure and themed camp weeks, was something new.
It was not always easy to explain.
Over the years, parents have asked the questions any caring parent should ask. Will my child be safe? Will they be included? What if they are shy? What if they miss home? What if they do not know anyone?
I have always understood those questions, not only as a camp founder, but as a mother.
Sending your child away for a school holiday camp is an act of trust. It is not a small thing. Parents are not just booking a week away. They are placing their child in someone else’s care and hoping that child will be protected, encouraged and understood.
That trust is something we have never taken lightly.
What has kept Sugar Bay going for 25 years is not only the beach, the lagoon, the activities or the themes. Those are part of the magic, of course. Children remember the waterslides, the campfires, the cabin jokes, the team games, the evening programmes and the moments that become funny only because they happened at camp.
But the real legacy of Sugar Bay is harder to photograph.
It is the child who learns to make a decision without a parent standing beside them. It is the child who tries an activity they were nervous about. It is the child who discovers that making a new friend is possible. It is the child who realises they can be away from home and still feel safe, cared for and happy.
Sometimes the change is loud and obvious. Sometimes it is small and quiet. A child speaks up. A child joins in. A child comes home with more confidence than they arrived with.
Those moments matter.
In a world where children are growing up with so much noise, pressure and screen time, camp offers something beautifully simple. It gives them space to be present. Space to move their bodies. Space to meet children from different schools, cities and backgrounds. Space to form friendships that are not based on who they already know.
For parents, that can be just as meaningful.
Many families come to Sugar Bay looking for a supervised kids holiday camp in South Africa, a school holiday solution, or a safe sleepover camp near Durban, Ballito and the KZN North Coast. What they often find is that camp becomes more than a practical answer to the holidays. It becomes part of their child’s growing-up story.
That is why this 25th birthday feels so special.
It belongs to every camper who has sung at campfire, every parent who has trusted us, every counselor who has helped a nervous child settle in, every staff member who has poured heart into the programme, and every family who has allowed Sugar Bay to become part of their school holiday rhythm.
It is a milestone, but it is also a reminder.
Children still need adventure.
Children still need safe independence.
Children still need adults who believe in them.
Children still need places where they can arrive as they are and leave feeling a little more capable.
This August, we are celebrating that legacy with two special holiday camps at Sugar Bay.
Wednesday Week runs from 9 to 16 August 2026. It is a creative, mysterious and slightly spooky camp theme built around music, courage, imagination and belonging. It is a lovely fit for children and teens who enjoy stories, puzzles, performance-style fun and a week with a little more personality. Read more: https://www.sugarbay.co.za/post/wednesday-week-sugar-bay-holiday-camp
Sweet & Sour Week runs from 16 to 23 August 2026, and this is our big 25th birthday celebration week. It will be colourful, playful and full of birthday energy, with candy-inspired challenges, team games, campfire traditions, sweet surprises and a few exciting new Sugar Bay activities being revealed during the week. Read More: https://www.sugarbay.co.za/post/sweet-sour-week-sugar-bay-camp-august-2026
Both August camps take place at Sugar Bay in Zinkwazi Beach, KwaZulu-Natal, and are open to children and teens aged 7 to 17.
If your child has been to Sugar Bay before, Sweet & Sour Week is a beautiful chance for them to return and be part of this once-in-a-generation birthday celebration. If your child has never been to camp before, it may be a special way to begin their own Sugar Bay story.
For families already looking ahead to the September and October school holidays, Sugar Bay will also be hosting Disney Zombies Week from 27 September to 4 October 2026.
This week brings a completely different kind of camp energy, with music, movement, team spirit, cheer-style challenges, sport, performance and a playful Pink versus Green theme. It is a lovely option for children and teens who enjoy being part of a team, trying something expressive, or stepping into a shared story with other campers. Read more: https://www.sugarbay.co.za/post/disney-zombies-week-sugar-bay-camp-september-2026
Like all Sugar Bay holiday camps, it takes place in Zinkwazi Beach on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast and is open to children and teens aged 7 to 17. For first-time campers, a themed week like this can make settling in a little easier, because everyone has something to join, practise, laugh about and look forward to together.
Twenty-five years ago, Sugar Bay was still a dream. Today, it is a place filled with stories, friendships, traditions and children who have grown through the simple joy of camp.
That is worth celebrating.
Photo of Zoe Ellender and her family
Parents can read more about our August 2026 camps and 25th birthday celebration here: August 2026 Camps at Sugar Bay. (https://www.sugarbay.co.za/post/august-2026-camps-sugar-bay-25th-birthday)
To learn more about Sugar Bay, visit: About Sugar Bay Holiday Camp. (https://www.sugarbay.co.za/about-sugar-bay-holiday-camp)
Parents can book online here: https://www.sugarbay.co.za/book-a-holiday
View all 2026 Sugar Bay camp dates here: https://www.sugarbay.co.za/2026-school-holiday-camp-dates
For booking help or more information, contact the Sugar Bay team:
Call: 032 485 3778
WhatsApp: 082 525 9503
Email: [email protected]
By Zoe Ellender, Founder of Sugar Bay
