Club Med’s First South Africa Resort Set to Begin Construction

Club Med will begin construction on its first-ever South Africa resort, Club Med Tinley, in 2024. The resort is slated to open in summer 2026. 

In collaboration with the developer, Collins Residential Consortium, Club Med seeks to offer beach and safari experiences to guests while also contributing positively to South Africa, where the company operates a Johannesburg commercial office but has not yet brought one of its popular all-inclusive resorts. 

“Since its creation in 1950, Club Med has been a pioneer in discovering new exceptional destinations,” said Club Med president Henri Giscard d’Estaing. “With this new project, together with our partner the Collins Residential Consortium, we aim to create value to the local communities and contribute to the international prestige of the beautiful province of KwaZulu-Natal.” 

This brand-new resort will offer two places to stay: The Beach Resort at Club Med Tinley and the Big-5 Game Reserve. The beach resort will be located on the northern coast of KwaZulu-Natal, known as the “Dolphin Coast,” a popular safari tourist destination in eastern South Africa. It will also be near King Shaka International Airport, which the International Skytrax Awards has named the best regional airport in Africa since 2015. 

Located about a 3.5-hour drive or a 40-minute flight from the beach resort, the Big-5 Game Reserve will be an 80-room lodge for guests to also get the safari experience on their trip. South Africa is known for the prevalence of the “big five” in wildlife – rhinos, lions, leopards, elephants, and African buffalo, yet there are many other animal species to observe as well. 

“Our vision is to celebrate our natural assets in all of our experiences and offerings within the group, while maintaining the authenticity of each and every destination we deliver on,” said Murray Collins, CEO of Collins Residential.    

Club Med Tinley’s interior design, entertainment, and food and beverage will all be South African-inspired. It will also be home to the first-ever Surf School at Club Med, which will offer surf lessons for kids and adults. The resort will also offer other water activities, such as sailing, surfing, diving, and snorkeling, as well as land sports, including paddle tennis, beach rugby, beach volley, bocce ball fields, archery, and other team building activities. 

Club Med also promises peak relaxation at the new resort with a wellness center, spa, and fitness center with several classes per day, plus a yoga school and an adult-only Zen pool and bar. There will also be a lounge area, refined bar, luxurious pool, and shopping and restaurants. 

Though this will be the first Club Med resort in South Africa, the company has done business in the country for 38 years, selling vacations to South Africans from a regional office. It has popularly sold ski vacations and Mauritius and Seychelles destinations to its South African clientele, as well as Maldives, Bali, Thailand, and Turkey.  

Club Med has more than 69 resorts worldwide, including four currently in the continent of Africa – two in Morocco, one in Senegal, and one in Tunisia.