A gift from my father: how a childhood passion to ease pain turned into a fulfilling career
Johannesburg - As a girl, what do you do when your father falls ill?
You take matters into your own hands, literally.
Massage therapist Vuyiswa Poppie Bolani-Matlanyane tells a fascinating story about how she started her business: “Growing up, I enjoyed ‘rubbing’ people when they had body aches. It was not something that I thought I would do as a profession until my own father got sick. Every evening I would rub his back and feet before he went to bed. One day my aunt came to visit and she also requested that I ‘rub’ her. The following morning, she asked why didn’t I do massages because I had magic hands.
“At the time I was working for a construction company.”
She then enrolled for a one-year massage course.
These days, all Bolani-Matlanyane talks about is the personal healing touch.
Her vocabulary is full of terms such as Swedish massage, hot stone massage, Balinese massage, remedial sports massage and reflexology.
“In December 2017, I quit my job as a health and safety manager at a construction company to start Maphodi Massage Therapy. Luckily, starting the business did not require a lot of money. All I needed was a massage table, towels and massage oil.
“Because it is mobile, the client provided his or her own gown. As time went by, I made some improvements by providing gowns and refreshments to clients, especially those who opted to come to my place.”
Maphodi Massage Therapy is a mobile business in Kagiso, west of Johannesburg.
According to Bolani-Matlanyane, it provides a high-quality service in the comfort of your own home or workplace. “We cater for individuals, groups, sports people and corporates. Clients who prefer to come to our premises are, however, welcome to do so.”
A fitness fanatic, Bolani-Matlanyane inspires confidence, putting clients at ease that they are in the right fingers, oops, hands.
She says: “The human body needs a massage because of the benefits thereof. These include reduced muscle tension, improved circulation, improved sleep quality, reduction of stress hormones, increased joint mobility and flexibility, relaxation, improved recovery of soft tissue injury, just to mention but a few.
“Generally, one massage a week is recommended, especially if you have a specific health condition or injury, but once a month is also acceptable. Regular massages can help manage symptoms (of an illness) and promote healing. It can also help with pain relief and promote overall well-being.
“A massage is not an elite treat. It is for anyone who wants to take care their body. I recommend a massage for anyone, especially those people who work long hours – standing or sitting; those who do hard labour and also those who partake in any sports activity.”
She is big on sport.
“I have always been very active. I ran 100m, 200m and 4x100m relays in high school. I represented my schools – Kagiso Secondary and Phahama High – in athletics.”
She stopped when she began her tertiary education, however. “The love for running came back when I started working. I started running 5km races, and then 10km,” she said.
“Sports massage is a deep-tissue massage designed to help athletes before, during and after training or sports event. It is useful for anyone who is active in any sports to increase flexibility, prevent injuries and help with healing after a sports injury. Sports injuries that most clients present with are hamstrings, ITB (iliotibial band), Achilles tendon, shin splints and sciatic nerve. Maphodi Massage Therapy is involved in several race events in Kagiso where three or four therapists will massage the runners after the race. The past few weeks a lot of Comrades Marathon runners came for pre-race massage. They come again for post-race massage.”
She could easily have been a marketer: “The success of Maphodi Massage Therapy is built on trust, expertise, professionalism and a personal touch that always puts the health and well-being of our clients first. Any business aims to make money at the end and that is evident by seeing clients coming back after every massage session. There is still a lot to be done, especially in the black community with regard to educating and promoting a lifestyle that incorporates massage therapy in their lives.
Maphodi is still growing and has not reached its full potential. “Currently I am working alone. When there is a group booking, I liaise with fellow massage therapists to assist me. They, in turn, contact me when they have group bookings. The plan is to grow and create employment for massage therapists. We have also included a children’s party in the package, where we do a maximum of 10 kids at a time. Getting into the corporate world is quite a challenge but I will not give up. Wellness days and corporate team-building events are some of the areas Maphodi is striving to enter.”
She has a message for those in the big league.
Why should people come to Maphodi instead of a better-known spa?
“Maphodi is unique in that it gives full attention to the client’s problem area. We offer a holistic approach on the healing of the client and provide a therapeutic massage of the body. We work for the enhancement of the health and well-being of individuals. We do massages in the comfort of your own home, which is what most of my clients prefer. Having to drive home in heavy traffic after a relaxing and calming massage defeats the whole purpose of the massage. Most of my clients are people who have medical conditions such as sinuses, constipation, headaches and so on. We offer services to clients who prefer the alternative. Our massages are not rushed or timed. A one-hour session can be 10 to 15 minutes longer, depending on the severity of the problem. We also offer refreshments after each session. A healthy snack or light meal and drink are part of the package.”
She keeps abreast of the industry best practice by “reading a lot about the latest techniques and practices”.
“My sports massage clientele has grown and as a result my knowledge and expertise on sports massage has increased. I involve myself a lot in sports events where a massage is offered such as in races/athletics and golf tournaments.”
Her clientele includes individuals, couples, elderly people, groups, corporate and government departments. “I cater for celebrations such as birthdays, anniversaries, bridal and baby showers, wellness days and sports events.”
She is a doer, not a talker and loves to hike.
“During Covid, I started hiking because it was the only sports activity that was allowed at that level of the pandemic, and I never looked back. Running and hiking have become my life. I run 10km every morning and hike every two weeks. Hiking offers long-term mental and physical health improvements, decreased cardiovascular disease risk and reduced stress levels. I have done multi-day hikes in the Drakensberg mountains and the Otter Trail in Tsitsikama, Eastern Cape. I have also started massaging my fellow hikers during and after a long and strenuous multi-day hike. I try to balance family life, church and my sports activities.”
She encourages her clients to be active as well. | The Sentinel