Cleto Saporetti is best known for establishing the High Rustenburg Health Hydro in Stellenbosch, but this was just one of his many achievements. After being held as a prisoner of war at the Zonderwater POW Camp in South Africa for 5 years, he chose to remain in South Africa on his release. With just 50 pounds in his pocket and an unshakable spirit of determination, he became of one of the country’s leading entrepreneurs and poultry farm owners, despite Newcastle Disease destroying his entire battery of 700,000 chickens. A serious motor vehicle accident changed the course of his life and he embraced a more holistic approach to health care. He established the Hydro as the first South African health resort of its kind and ensured its enduring success. His passion for combining naturopathy with conven­tional medical care helped thousands of people, although it did not always endear him to the local medical community of the time.