First things first. The word SPA, it turns out, is not a full word. It’s an acronym for the Latin phrase “Salus Per Aquam”, which translates to “healing through water.”
Mercy Wangari, the CEO of Spa by Xenaxia, says life itself feels like a journey in healing, not by water but by forward propulsion, from a spa attendant to a string of wellness establishments she owns fully or manages in partnership.
She owns the spas in Wadi Degla Club, Movenpick Hotel, Norfolk, Fairmont the Norfolk, and Lake Elementaita Mountain Lodge.
She is in partnership with the spas at Crowne Plaza JKIA, and JW Marriott in Mara and Kigali. She started as a Spa Attendant intern at the Kempinski Hotel.
When she talks of her journey, she has to speak of her departed mother who gave birth to her at 14, and the struggles that ensued. She cries through a great deal of this interview when she looks back at that road.
What can the body do?
The body heals itself. But only if it is allowed to balance itself. Spas are not just about massage. You can balance your body in a spa. The are two schools; Eastern School and Western School, that guide spas.
The Western is big on aroma usage. When you say they have insomnia, that’s an imbalance. Maybe you are stressed. At the spa, lavender usage can help your brain balance your body. Talk of the spine alignment when we sit at our computers for long. Massages can heal muscle paralysis. There is a whole world of the body and therapy that doesn’t involve medicine.
Did we balance our energies traditionally as Africans?
We did. But the difference between us and the rest of the world is that we didn't document things. My grandfather would always boil roots and shoots and make us drink soup. I never got sick until I went to college.
In South Sudan, women would sit naked over a smoke-filled container to clean their internal organs. Some communities used bamboo sticks for massages. For others, listening to music was how they relaxed their mind. Walking barefoot helped with many functions of our body and mind. We did these things but since they were not documented they might as well not have happened.
So what happened after your time at Kempinski?
We closed down and started a new hiring process. In the process, I lost my mom and I went to bury her. I never went back. I felt that I had to reset my life especially since I was disadvantaged in my position at the hotel. I wanted more for myself. So, I returned to school, studied human resource management, and then worked at the National Treasury.
But I wasn’t happy there either. I realised I preferred to work in the service industry. Before I could decide on the next step, we lost our jobs because of the NYS saga. I wanted to go back to the hospitality industry but I had been away for two years! So I started my own thing, a human resource company focusing on management for spa therapy. With time that morphed into managing my spas.
Are you surprised that you are the owner of all these spas?
Not until someone reminds me of how far I have come. I go with the flow. I just came from South Africa to seek opportunities in Cape Town and Namibia. Our strategy is to uplift the industry in the region. We are also looking at Kigali.
Chief Executive Officer of SPA by XenaXia Africa Mercy Wangari poses for a photo on July 25, 2024 at Movenpic hotel in Nairobi.
Photo credit: Billy Ogada | Nation Media Group
You have a small tattoo under your wrist.
It says, Xenaxia. Because I believe in this brand. Xena means hospitality or to host. Axia means wellness.
In what ways do you think the loss of your mother destabilised your energy?
Being an only child, growing up in Kirinyaga wasn’t easy. I worked hard and suddenly I was at Kempinski about to start my career and make a breakthrough when my mother died. I wondered what was all this for. Why was -- [Breaks down] I’m sorry… I’m sorry. [Pause] I grew up surrounded by many people so I never felt like an only child.
My mother made certain decisions and lived by certain codes that I didn’t approve of at that time because I was a child and didn’t understand. But in hindsight, now I see that she was also a child, just figuring things out, she was so young and made sacrifices that saw me where I am today…I never--- [Breaks down].
How about we talk about happy things? Do you have children?
[Chuckles] I have one daughter.
You were the only child, I’d imagine you would fill your house with children, do you want more?
[Laughs] You know, no week passes without someone asking me that question. They say, you work so hard you can afford more children, why do you have one? [Pause] Children are special and an honour to have. But I also insist that you don't have to be a mother by giving birth. Do I want another child? My husband will have to pay me to have another child. [Laughs]
I’m scared to fail my child, I see it a lot with parents today. I have done big projects but the biggest project in my life remains having a child. And I say this as someone who had to work hard for everything she got. If my business story is interesting, my personal story is more impressive, I think.
What's your personal story?
My mom gave birth to me when she was 14 years old. She was a child. I was born at 2 pm on a Saturday, and by Sunday she was discharged from the hospital. My mom left me to be raised by my grandmother. She was just a child. [Starts crying]... I’m sorry.[Pause] Later, I would live with my grandparents and my mom, depending on who was doing better.
My mom lived in a small rental house in Kerugoya town, in Kirinyaga. A kind teacher took me in and schooled me. After high school, my mom and I used to make chai (tea) and snacks in a kibanda [makeshift structure], at a bus stop in Kerugoya. We would wake up at 4 am to prepare chapatis and mandazi.
There was a newspaper vendor near that kiosk with whom I struck a deal; I would hand him Sh20 (newspapers were retailing Sh40) and read the paper. If I returned it in good condition he would give me back my Sh20. What I didn’t know was that there was a man who used to watch all these transactions, he would watch me read the newspaper every day. I loved reading.
A random guy you didn't know?
Yes, a stranger but a local who was known in the area. One day he talked to me, and he asked me why I was working in the kibanda, and why I was not going to school seeing as I loved reading. He inquired about my KCSE grades and said, If I offer to pay for your college, what will you study? And that’s how I got into Utalii College, through the grace and charity of a man who didn’t know me.
Wild! Just wild!
Yes, and this guy became part of my family. We became business partners in some ventures. He helped me with so many things. He is a family friend now, which is weird because all this time he was footing my education expenses, it had to stay a secret. Why? Because village people think if you’re educating somebody, they’re going to marry you. So all these things had to be done in secret.
I have to ask about your dad…
[Pause] I met him once. I had just done my KCPE. My mom was trying to get him to be involved. I remember him vaguely. He was light-skinned. He had dimples. I get mine from him. That’s all I remember of him. There is no need to look for him, it might be too painful. Maybe not now, maybe later on. My mom never wanted to talk about him.
Which part of your life are you working now?
I’m looking for a hobby. I’ve met many people passionate about something that is not work related. My job isn’t work, but I need something else. Nowadays, when I finish work, I go home and read two, or three pages. I read two books concurrently; one is fictional and the other self-development. I need to do something else.
