D’VIDA WELLNESS SPA – MEYERTON
A MESSAGE FROM
Philly
A message from the owner, Philly Naidoo, founder of D’Vida Spa & Laser Centre and creator of Rise with Zen Sai, shares the personal journey and purpose behind her passion for holistic wellness and healing.
Why I Created D’Vida
Twenty years ago, I was building a career in the corporate and financial world when my life took an unexpected turn. I became seriously ill and was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disorder that almost claimed my life more than once. The illness caused permanent damage to my body and organs, and for a time, working was no longer an option. My life became centered around treatments, recovery and simply finding ways to keep going.
Twenty years ago, I was building a career in the corporate and financial world when my life took an unexpected turn. I became seriously ill and was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disorder that almost claimed my life more than once. The illness caused permanent damage to my body and organs, and for a time, working was no longer an option. My life became centered around treatments, recovery and simply finding ways to keep going.
Somewhere in between those treatments, I began learning spa therapies. What started as an interest in wellness and healing slowly became something much more meaningful. I never set out to build a spa business, but that first step would eventually become the foundation of everything I have created today.
Where It All Began
D’Vida began in a one-bedroom wooden shed at the back of my home in 2016. It was supposed to be temporary. As my own health made performing treatments difficult, I hired a therapist, moved the spa into a lodge and began creating something very different from a conventional spa. Two years later, D’Vida had grown into a team and moved into its first hotel, followed by another as we continued to grow.
Then came COVID.
With the spa closed for four months, I immersed myself in everything I could learn about business, finance, wellness and healing. I began working with coaches and mentors from around the world and spent countless hours researching the relationship between stress, trauma, the body and long-term well being.
I realised that my interest in wellness went far beyond spa treatments. My own experience had taught me that caring for the body is not simply about treating what hurts in the moment. There is a much bigger picture — the mind, the body, emotions, stress, environment and the way we experience life.
That realisation became the foundation for Rise with Zen Sai, and it also changed the way I approached D’Vida.
2016, D’Vida Spa’s humble beginnings in a wooden shed at home. 
The courtyard at the home where D’Vida’s journey began
2017: The grounds of the lodge where D’Vida Spa took its next step in growing the business. 2017:D’Vida’s first lodge spa, marking an exciting new chapter in its growth. 2017: A cosy waiting area at D’Vida’s first Lodge spa. In 2018, D’Vida Spa moved to its first hotel, expanding into three rooms with a team of two staff members. The welcoming entrance to D’Vida’s 2018 hotel location during its early years. One of the treatment rooms at D’Vida’s Hotel location in 2018. A look at D’Vida’s 2022 hotel location, surrounded by landscaped gardens and swimming pools. A beautifully prepared hotel room for D’Vida Spa guests in 2022 The pedicure area at D’Vida Spa’s 2022 hotel location. The massage rooms at D’Vida Spa’s 2022 hotel location.
Over the years, I traveled to different countries, visited spas and wellness retreats, explored different approaches to healing and trained with a Balinese therapist. I continued studying the body, mind and spirit and developed the massage techniques and treatment experiences used at D’Vida today.
D’Vida was created from a very personal place: the understanding that sometimes we don’t simply need another treatment — we need to feel cared for.
That belief is at the heart of everything we do.
While a business must be financially sustainable, my purpose has always been bigger than selling treatments. I wanted to create a space where people could step away from the demands of everyday life, breathe, feel safe, switch off and leave feeling lighter, restored and genuinely cared for.
This is why I take personal responsibility for the standard of D’Vida. I am involved in the training of our team, and our treatments are developed, taught and tested by me. I pay close attention to the details because I believe that genuine care is felt in the details — from the treatment itself to the environment, the comfort, the welcome and the way a client is treated.
Creation of The Zen Den
In 2025, another unexpected chapter began when the hotel we were operating from suddenly closed. What initially felt like another setback became the catalyst for something much bigger.
It led to the creation of The Zen Den — a holistic wellness and beauty centre bringing together the brands and services that reflect my bigger vision for wellness.
Today, The Zen Den is home to D’Vida Spa & Laser Centre, Rise with Zen Sai, SD Beauty and Cedar Hair & Beauty, alongside the Zen Café, created to complement the experience with wholesome, beautifully prepared food.
D’Vida’s evolution into advanced skin and laser solutions came from listening to our clients and understanding the changing needs of the people we serve. It was a natural progression: creating a place where beauty, wellness, relaxation and advanced treatments could exist alongside one another, while still holding onto the personal care that made D’Vida what it is.
What may look like an overnight success to some has taken ten years to build.
And we are nowhere near finished.
I believe in continuous improvement — in myself, in my team and in the brands I create. As the wellness and beauty industries evolve, so will we. I will continue to learn, explore, question, innovate and bring new ideas into the space.
Because at the end of the day, D’Vida is not simply about massages, facials, laser treatments or beauty. It is about people.
My intention is that every person who walks through our doors feels that they matter. That they are seen, valued and cared for — not simply as a client, but as a human being who deserves to feel better.
That is why I created D’Vida.
And that is why, after ten years, I still care so deeply about where we go next.
“It is about people.”
Philly Naidoo
Founder & Owner, D’Vida Spa & Laser Centre
Founder, Rise with Zen Sai
International Wellness & Development Consultant
