For individuals and couples
Retirement Workshops for Individuals
Retirement is a journey, not a destination.
So where to next?
You planned the money. Nobody planned the rest. This is where you take the wheel again — two 3-hour sessions across two days, in a small group of people standing exactly where you are, working through identity, routine, purpose, life at home and managing your connections.
Does this sound like you?
Retirement doesn’t only take away your job.
It takes your routine, your status, your daily company and your sense of being needed. Having enough money to retire and knowing how to live well in retirement are two very different things. These are the five things people tell us about most — and what we do about each one.
Identity
“I was somebody at work. Now I'm nobody.”
We separate who you are from what you did, and rebuild an identity that doesn't depend on a job title.
Structure
“The days are long and they all look the same.”
You leave with a realistic weekly shape of your own making — not a timetable someone handed you.
Purpose
“I don't feel useful anymore.”
We look at where your experience is genuinely needed, and how to contribute again without going back to work.
Relationships
“We're together 24/7 and it's harder than we expected.”
Honest tools for renegotiating space, routine and expectations at home after decades of separate days.
Isolation
“I've lost my people, not just my job.”
How to rebuild a social circle as an adult — and a room full of people doing the same thing on the day.
Retirement is not the end of your story. It is the beginning of a new chapter.
Two sessions, two days
The What Now? Workshop
A practical workshop for people approaching or adjusting to retirement. Small group, guided exercises, honest conversation — not a lecture. You work on the five things that unsettle people most: identity, routine, purpose, life at home and managing your connections.
It runs as two 3-hour sessions across two days, not a single sitting. That is deliberate. Identity, purpose and managing your connections are heavy subjects, and a night to sit with the first half is what makes the second half land. You leave with notes, tools and a clear shape for your next few months.
Your seat covers both sessions, including materials and refreshments. Promotional specials are available for individuals — ask us for the current rate when you enquire.
- Format
- 2 × 3 hours
- Group
- Up to 30
- Where
- Nationally
What it costs
Specials for individuals
Promotional specials are available for individuals — ask us for the current rate when you enquire.
Your seat covers both 3-hour sessions, all materials and refreshments. Couples are welcome and often attend together.
Ask for the current rate- Format
- 2 × 3 hours
- Group
- Up to 30
- Where
- Nationally
Workshops run nationally, most often at venues around Johannesburg and Pretoria. Tell us where you are and we will confirm the closest dates, the venue and the current rate.
On YouTube
Words with the Wise
Not marketing. Real people talking about what retirement actually did to them, in their own words — the parts most people only admit to in private.
Subscribe for the first conversationsThe first conversations are being recorded now.
Upcoming conversation
Leon
What he thinks retirement is going to be, said out loud before he gets there — while the diary is still full and the title is still his.
Upcoming conversation
Andrew
Pushed into early retirement, and the honest conversation about drinking that came with all that empty time.
Join the What Now? Workshop
A supportive, interactive workshop designed around you.
You will discover practical ways to:
Overcome loneliness and isolation
Create structure and routine
Rebuild purpose and meaning
Expand your social connections
Rediscover your confidence and identity
Find direction for your next chapter
Leave with fresh insights, practical tools, and a clear vision for creating a retirement you can truly enjoy.
Five luxury days, experience-led
The Retreat Experience
Five days at four and five star venues only, built so the workshop work actually sticks. You arrive Monday and leave Friday morning — long enough to step out of daily pressure, reset mentally and physically, and get real perspective on the next stage of life.
Each day is anchored by experience, not lecture. Optional early movement — Pilates, yoga, flexibility and strength work — then breakfast, then a morning workshop session. After lunch the afternoons turn practical and personal: one-on-one sessions, animal interactions such as elephant encounters, and adventure activities like kayaking, hiking, safari drives and spa time.
Available to individuals in exactly the same format offered to corporate management and executive groups. Quoted per retreat, depending on venue and dates.
- Length
- Mon to Fri
- Venues
- 4 & 5 star only
- Pricing
- On enquiry
Reading room
Articles & guides
Short, practical reading on identity, routine and purpose after work — written by Kara.
Adjusting to retirementWhy the first year unsettles so many people, and what actually helps with identity, structure and purpose.Read
What to do after retirementPractical ways to rebuild a week worth waking up for, find your people again, and stay useful.Read
Retirement workshops in Johannesburg & PretoriaWhat the two sessions cover, where we meet, and how to book a seat near you.Read
Who am I when I’m no longer what I used to do?Kara on identity, contribution, and the better questions retirement gives you room to ask.Read
Before you book
Questions people ask
- What actually happens?
- Two 3-hour sessions across two days, in a small group. We work through the things that unsettle people most after work ends — identity, purpose and meaning, structure, home life and social connection — using practical exercises rather than lectures. You leave with notes, tools and a clear shape for your next few months.
- Why two days instead of one?
- Because it is a lot to process. Identity, purpose and managing your connections are heavy subjects, and covering them in one sitting is emotionally overwhelming for most people. Splitting the work over two days gives you a night to sit with the first half before we go deeper — that is where the real shifts happen.
- Do I come alone or with my partner?
- Either works. Many people come on their own; couples often come together because the change affects both of them. Tell us which you'd prefer when you enquire.
- Is this therapy or counselling?
- No. It's a practical personal development workshop. There is space for honesty, but the focus is on what you do next, not on clinical treatment. Kara is not a therapist or counsellor and does not offer therapy, counselling, diagnosis or clinical opinion.
- What does it cost as an individual?
- Promotional specials are available for individuals — ask us for the current rate when you enquire. The rate covers both sessions, materials and refreshments.
- Where does it take place?
- Open workshops run nationally, most often at venues around Johannesburg and Pretoria. Corporate workshops are run on site at your own offices or venue.
- How big is the group?
- Open groups are capped at 30 people so there is still room for honest conversation. Corporate and organisational groups can be any size — we shape the sessions around your numbers.
- How do I book?
- Send the enquiry form on this page, or call or WhatsApp +27 62 230 4940. We'll confirm your seat and payment details.
- How does payment work?
- There is no online checkout. Once we've confirmed your seat, we email you an invoice with our banking details and a reference. Payment is by electronic bank transfer (EFT) in South African Rand, and your place is held once it reflects. Any questions about an invoice, email wave@karapackman.co.za.
- How is the Retreat Experience different?
- The retreat runs five days at four and five star venues only — arrive Monday, leave Friday morning. Mornings are workshop sessions, with optional Pilates or yoga beforehand; afternoons are experiences that anchor the work — one-on-one sessions, animal interactions such as elephants, kayaking, hiking, safari drives and spa time. It's offered to corporates at management and executive level and to long-standing employees, and to individuals in the same format.
- I'm not retired yet — is it too early?
- No. People approaching retirement often get the most out of it, because they arrive with a plan instead of a gap.
Reserve your seat
Two sessions. A different next chapter.
Send us your details and we'll come back with the next available dates near you, the venue and the current rate. No obligation, no pressure.
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