Club Med to Open Its First South Africa Resort Combining Beach and Safari
The 411-room resort on the Dolphin Coast will pair coastal luxury with Big Five wildlife at an 18,000-hectare safari lodge.
Club Med is entering South Africa with a first-of-its-kind dual resort concept set to open in July 2026. The Club Med South Africa Beach & Safari will combine a 411-room coastal property on the Dolphin Coast with an 80-room safari lodge in the Hluhluwe game reserve — home to Africa's Big Five.
The beach component sits about 30 minutes from King Shaka International Airport and 45 minutes from Durban, offering surfing, snorkeling, and what Club Med calls its first-ever Surf School. The safari lodge, set across 18,000 hectares, provides guided game drives and bush walks as part of the all-inclusive package.
Pushing Into New Territory
The South Africa property represents a significant expansion of Club Med's geographic footprint beyond its traditional strongholds in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and Southeast Asia. The concept of pairing a beach resort with a safari lodge is unusual for the all-inclusive sector, where properties typically anchor to a single destination type.
Club Med has been on an aggressive growth path heading into its 75th anniversary, with nine new resorts planned between 2024 and 2026. The company is also pivoting its entire portfolio toward the luxury segment, investing in premium accommodations and experiences across its global properties.
Bookings for the South Africa resort have been open since October 2025. A Club Med Borneo in Malaysia is also expected to open in Q4 2026, further expanding the brand's Asia-Pacific presence.