Club Med makes a splash on SA shores

Club Med will open its first resort in South Africa in July 2026 on the Dolphin Coast, north of Durban, which will now be called Club Med South Africa Beach & Safari.

Club Med invited media to Durban on Friday, 19 September, for a site inspection to see the progress made at its first South African property. It is a 30-minute drive from King Shaka International Airport and less than one hour from the city of Durban.

Club Med fast facts

Resort opens: July 2026
Bookings Open: October 2025 (sale 14-17 Oct)
Get there: 30 minutes from King Shaka International Airport; one hour from Durban
Website: clubmed.co.za
Request a Quote: Club Med SA

The R2.2-billion project sits on a 32-hectare site, formerly owned by Tongaat Hulett, which used to be a sugarcane plantation. It will split by 16 hectares each for the buildings and the greenery, with over 4000 trees to be planted, including 850 palm trees.

The resort is funded by a South African Investment Consortium and developed by Collins Residential, which will create more than 800 direct jobs and 1500 indirect jobs, according to the company.

It employs 1200 construction workers from the neighbouring community; plus, there will 160 young people trained at the NukaKamma Hospitality School who will join the resort staff after completing their training. Local farmers in its supply chain through a partnership with French NGO Agrisud.

Lodging and exclusive areas

There will 411 various lodgings spread across several buildings. The core offering will be 345 rooms, including 310 Superior and 35 Deluxe.

Then there will be a private exclusive collection called Ilanga made up of 66 Suites for a more intimate experience, with personalised service and separate lounge.

Highlights, Activities and Spa

Highlights include a surf school for ages six and up (a first for Club Med); guided gravel bike tours; a 70m long main pool, which Club Med says will be South Africa’s largest and a 1000-seater main restaurant, where acoustics will play a role so that it’s not noisy.

There will be padel courts, flying trapeze rigs, archery, yoga, and kids’ entrainment zones.

There will be four pools on the property: the main 70m one facing the ocean, a Zen pool for adults, a family pool area for kids, and an exclusive pool in the Ilanga section. The facilities will also have a spa and wellness centre with a hammam.

The resort will be fully accessible and wheel-chair friendly.

Restaurants and refreshments

Two restaurants will be on offer, the main Oceana one with dishes from around the world, and the Nguni Gourmet Club for fine dining, featuring South African seafood and local produce.

There will be several bars along the property for refreshments, including the main one called Injabulo, which will house a coffee shop and gourmet snacks, and an ocean-facing Dunes Beach Bar.

Safari offering and pairing

The resort offering will include a safari experience at Mpilo Safari Lodge, situated on a private 18,000-hectare game reserve that is home to the Big Five: lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants, and Cape buffalos.

The private game reserve is exclusively for resort guests, for ages four years and up, and will offer 75 premium tents, a swimming pool in the adult lounge area, a restaurant and supervised children’s zone with water games and family-friendly play areas.

The beach and bush offering will be paired together for international guests, as the lodge is about 4.5 hours away from the beach or a 45-minute flight, while locals can book the beach resort standalone, for a minimum of three nights.

It will follow the same standard as its international resorts and will offer an all-inclusive luxury holiday in what it calls an unspoilt region that is off the beaten track.

Olivier Perillat-Piratoine, Managing Director of Club Med South Africa calls the project a transformational one for the country. “Club Med will offer hospitality that we don’t have to date in South Africa.”