2021.06.23 news24
A "naked hike for men", the first of its kind to hit South Africa, was held in QwaQwa in the Drakensberg this week to tackle body dysphoria.
Personal development life coach and founder of the "naked hike for men" Fanafikile Lephakha, 33, is on a mission to challenge a number of issues facing men. He used the naked hike to highlight the struggles many men endure.
Lephakha told News24 he was taken aback by the huge interest the event generated on social media.
He said about a week ago a friend tagged him in a Facebook post about a man in the Northern Hemisphere doing a naked hike.
"I thought, well, that's interesting. Let me try that here in SA," Lephakha said.
The Drakensberg man said the plans for the hike began a week ago and saw about 11 men taking part in the event, which was held on Monday.
He said 21 June is World Naked Hiking Day, and outdoor enthusiasts everywhere celebrate the day by hiking in the nude.
Lephakha said he organised the men-only naked hike to help those taking part to face their fears and get out of their comfort zones.
According to Lephakha, the goal was also to help men overcome insecurities which they are unable to express because of societal norms and expectations.
"Men also suffer from dysphorias, such as penis insecurity and body-shaming," he added.
The 3km naked hike and seminar lasted two hours amid temperatures starting at five degrees in the morning and peaking at 12 degrees once the hike was completed.
He said the men absolutely loved the hike, the conversations, the laughs and some even agreed that "wearing clothes were so overrated".
"The nakedness of the hike was to, firstly, challenge men to get naked in front of other men," Lephakha said.
He said the "nakedness" of the challenge was just a metaphor for him, and he did not want people to focus only on the nudist part of the hike.
Participant Nelson Mahlaba, 35, said it was his first time and he needed to be part of the event to "kill" his insecurities.
He said:
I told myself I am not going to be scared, I am going to do this, and it was exciting.
"We did a countdown from three to one and then we stripped down naked. It was so much fun," he added.
Lephakha said the hike had been trending on social media for both good and bad reasons, but overall the feedback was overwhelmingly positive.
"I've been receiving calls from all corners of the country from people wanting to join the hike, and the feedback from the public indicates that there is a demand for these kinds of seminars."
Lephakha said plans were in motion to move the naked hike for men to other provinces, as well as the introduction of a "naked hike for women" headed by a female life coach.
"The excitement is there, the passion is set, and we want to encourage people to take part in the event as it is life-changing," added the life coach.
