Countdown to Club Med South Africa Beach and Safari Resort opening in 2026

The countdown is officially underway for the opening of what might be KwaZulu-Natal’s go-to destination resort, Club Med South Africa Beach and Safari.

Located on the spectacular Dolphin Coast, north of Durban, construction is well underway, with everything being on schedule for the July 2026 opening.

A 20-year journey is finally coming full circle. During a recent media tour, IOL got to see the progress that has been made in turning a piece of land into a world that many will flock to escape the rush of the city.

Club Med has a huge base of loyal customers that trust the brand and come to their destinations across the world, from Cannes, Bali, Phuket, Bangkok and Mauritius.

Olivier Perillat-Piratoine, Managing Director of Club Med, explained that they wanted those customers to discover what South Africa offers best, the beach and the bush.

“It's been a long journey. We had a chance to meet the Collins Residential Group, the South African owner of this project, and it's been a great partnership because of the complementarity and the fantastic relationship. 

“This project is transformational, but also in terms of the unique Club Med spirit, which is about kindness, conviviality, responsibility, and fun.

“It's a place where you experience not a daunting hospitality, very welcoming, multicultural, and there's no better place than South Africa to come with this concept,” said Perillat-Piratoine.

KwaZulu-Natal is the flagship of Club Med South Africa, but there are aspirations to create a new tourism hub outside of Cape Town and at the Kruger. 

Perillat-Piratoine explained that KwaZulu-Natal was chosen as the flagship as there is a huge gap in getting people into the province, which is often unexplored, as people go to other popular destinations such as the Western Province.

The land on which the resort is being built was previously a sugarcane plantation surrounded by dune forests, wetlands,, and remarkable natural landscapes. One will be glad to know that amidst the construction, the environment is being thought of with rehabilitation process in place.

Club Med is committed here to preserving the biodiversity of local ecosystems and reducing the Resort’s environmental impact.

The project leader, Chris du Toit from Collins Group, guided the tour, explained some of the development that has taken place with 16 hotel blocks in place, the kids club, with seven pools at the resorts, and courts for tennis or padel. There is also a surf school.

While Clud Med offers exciting holiday prospects, it is contributing to curbing South Africa’s unemployment crisis; 1,200 construction workers are employed from the local surrounding municipality. 

The R2 billion project will create more than 800 direct and 1,500 indirect jobs. The project is funded by a South African Investment Consortium and developed by Collins Residential.

Club Med South Africa has partnered with the Nukakamma Talent Development Centre to offer world-class training and career opportunities to disadvantaged youth interested in careers in hospitality, specifically in food and beverage service.

In February 2025, 160 young talents began the program, which includes 6-8 months of theoretical and practical training followed by a six-month internship. 

Graduates of the program will be offered employment at the new Club Med South Africa Resort, where they will put their newly acquired skills to work. 

Club Med South Africa Beach and Safari officilay opens on the first week of July 2026 and bookings open in October 2025.

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