Club Med South Africa is set to open to the public on 4 July 2026, and ahead of that, took select media on a walkabout tour. This followed a first look the resort when it was still construction site in September 2025.
The exclusive walk about took place on Sunday, 10 May at Tinley Manor, a 30 minute drive from King Shaka Airport, after landing from Johannesburg.
Club Med shared that within 26 months, 1850 workers on site daily and 4.5 million man hours, a sugar cane field was transformed into South Africa’s first Club Med Beach & Safari Resort.
The Safari aspect will be at the Vikela Safari Lodge, 4.5 hours away by road or a short (charter) flight, however it is not compulsory for South Africans to book here but international visitors will get it as a package. The lodge is exclusive to Club Med guests.
Among fellow media who joined the walkabout was Minister of Tourism, Patricial de Lille who was in town for the Tourism Indaba.
De Lille said: “There’s this perception that South Africa is all about safaris and Table Mountain, and to have new products like Club Med that you can showcase to rest of the world, it always helps.”
“Tourism investment is not only about building new products. It is also about maintaining and enhancing our existing attractions while diversifying the experiences available to travellers,” said de Lille.
She also touched on the 2300 direct and indirect jobs Club Med has created. Out of those, between 600-650 will be permanent positions at the resort, a lot of them directly related to skills development initiatives like its hospitality scholarship program for young South Africans.
“This is a world-class product that showcases the diversity and quality of South Africa’s tourism offering,” added de Lille. “We are proud to support and promote it as part of our international tourism marketing efforts.”
She also mentioned that South Africa saw a record 10.5 million international tourists visit in 2025, with 2.9 million already recorded in Q1 of 2026.
The Club Med SA journey
Chris du Toit, Project Director from Collins Residential says this project proves that developments of this scale can be delivered successfully in South Africa.
“A lot of people believed a greenfield tourism project of this magnitude could not be achieved locally, but this development demonstrates what is possible through collaboration, innovation and confidence in the South African market,” says du Toit.
Club Med SA is funded through South African investors, with local banks and suppliers playing a major role in bringing it to life, says the company.
Club Med SA MD Olivier Perillat-Piratoine described the 16 year journey as a “defining milestone for both Club Med and South African tourism”.
“We do not take the success of this property for granted,” he said. “This has been an extraordinary human journey involving expertise, talent and collaboration from South Africa and around the world.”
Perillat-Piratoine also revealed that more than 40 different markets from all continents have already booked to come to the resort. “Early bookings are being driven predominantly by the European market, followed closely by strong domestic demand from South African travellers.”
He mentioned there was a lot of interest from corporates in SA, as the resort has a separate conference facilities that is suitable for team buildings or weddings.
Recharged asked Club Med SA about the halaal offering, based on interest received last year and was told: “halaal food options will be available on a permanent basis at the Resort when it officially opens.”
Guests who observe halaal should note that arrangements can be made for large events, while the resort purchases meat from a halaal supplier but cannot be certified as there is a bar on site.
Another noteworthy mention is that Club Med SA will have EV chargers installed on site, which ties in with potential road trips from the upcoming Charge N3 launch of two new solar off-grid public chargers.
The two locations will be between Johannesburg and Durban, strategically spaced about one third apart from each other to make for comfortable stops along the way if required.
Demand for Domestic and MICE Travel
Club Med says there’s a demand from both the leisure and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events) sectors, which has shown strong momentum, positioning the resort as a meaningful new option for corporate groups and incentive travel within South Africa.
It adds that previously, many South African companies looked offshore for premium all-inclusive incentive and conference experiences.
The launch of Club Med South Africa now offers the local market an internationally recognised destination experience on home soil, it says.
“We already have thousands of leisure guests booked before the resort has even officially opened,” said Perillat-Piratoine. “At the same time, major South African and international companies have already secured conference and incentive bookings.”
More information about the resort, room types, activities and mock-ups can be found in our previous post from September 2025.
Recharged is an independent site that focuses on technology, electric vehicles, and the digital life by Nafisa Akabor. Drawing from her 18-year tech journalism career, expect news, reviews, how-tos, comparisons, and practical uses of tech that are easy to digest. Nafisa is a traveller at heart, having been to 46 countries and counting. Find her unique travel tips and tricks on TikTok alongside tech & EV content.
