Club Med has always been about doing things differently, so picture this.
It’s a clear, crisp morning on South Africa’s Dolphin Coast. A family strolls barefoot along the sands enroute to breakfast, fruit smoothies in hand, settling at their oceanfront table.
Hours later, as dusk falls, they sits silently in an open-sided vehicle, watching elephants lumber past while a ranger points out fresh lion tracks in the fading light.
This seamless transition from beach to bush sounds like a lot to fit into one day, but it will soon be the centrepiece reality in Club Med’s most ambitious venture yet.
Club Med South Africa Beach & Safari will be a dual-destination resort experience opening in July 2026, where for the first time, travellers will be able to book one holiday that combines a classic Club Med beach escape with an immersive ‘Big Five’ safari – within the convenience of an all-inclusive holiday.
For Club Med, South Africa has long been “on the radar”, but is now less than a year from opening.
“Choosing the right location was incredibly important for us and being able to secure this dual concept where you can include both a beach holiday and a safari holiday, purpose-built for families was absolutely what we were looking for,” General Manager for Pacific and New ESAP markets, Michelle Davies, explains to travelBulletin.
The decision also reflects Club Med’s two-decade-long market move into upscale and luxury. Since 2004, the brand has been steadily repositioning itself from ‘flop-and-drop’ holidays to higher-end experiential escapes. South Africa’s Dolphin Coast, near Durban, offers the perfect blend of pristine beaches, cultural vibrancy, and untapped potential for international tourism.
For South African Tourism Chief Quality Assurance Officer, Bronwen Auret, the move signals much more than a new resort.
“Having a globally recognised resort brand like Club Med establish its first South African presence along the Dolphin Coast is a major milestone,” Auret says.
“It elevates the region’s profile on the global travel map, brings sustainable infrastructure, and shines a spotlight on KwaZulu-Natal as a premium destination beyond the usual Cape Town–Kruger circuit”.
Where ocean meets design
Located just 30 minutes from Durban’s King Shaka International Airport, Club Med South Africa Beach & Safari stretches across 32 hectares of dunes, forests, and beachfront. Depending on the season, dolphins and whales can be seen migrating and frolicking offshore, giving the coastline its evocative name.
The resort’s design, led by South African architects Craft of Architecture and Parisian design studio MHNA, balances modern minimalism with local Zulu-inspired touches. Rooms feature untreated wood, handwoven fabrics, and an earthy colour palette that reflect the surroundings.
Guests will find 411 rooms and suites in total: 345 bright and airy Superior and Deluxe rooms, and 66 Exclusive Collection suites in a private ‘Ilanga’ section, complete with its own pool, lounge, and personalised service.
The wider resort includes four swimming pools, two restaurants – Oceana for international cuisine, the high-end Nguni Gourmet Club showcasing seafood and local produce – and a series of lively and laid-back bars.
This however won’t be any ordinary Club Med outpost. It will also host the company’s first surf school among the daily activities list, alongside gravel bike tours, padel courts, yoga, and even a flying trapeze rig.
“It’s very much a zoning concept,” Davies notes. “Distinctive spaces for families, couples, and wellness, so it feels like smaller experiences within a larger resort.”
Into the wild
Arguably though, the highlight of Club Med’s new resort isn’t even on-site. It’s nowhere nearby for that matter. Situated four-and-a-half-hours away by bus or 45 minutes by charter flight lies the other half of the adventure, Mpilo Safari Lodge, nestled within an 18,000-hectare private reserve.
Unlike many luxury lodges, Mpilo has been designed with families in mind.
The property offers 75 premium tents, with 55 in a family zone and another 20 in an adults-only area. Each tent includes double sinks, outdoor showers, and terraces with sweeping views of a natural habitat teeming with wildlife.
Children are catered for with pools, supervised water play, and kids’ clubs, while parents can also retreat to lounges dedicated to them.
Game drives head out twice-daily in search of lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants, and Cape Buffalo. Families with younger children can opt for shorter drives with snacks, blankets, and storytelling along the way.
“Club Med’s family-centric model is a game-changer for safaris,” says Auret. “Dedicated kids clubs, adapted game drives, and safe family zones open up the bush to younger travellers. It lowers the entry barrier for families who may have felt safaris were too demanding or unsuitable for kids”.
Challenges and opportunities
As progressive as the concept is, the logistics are still being finalised. One resort offering 411 rooms and 75 at the other makes it impossible to transplant the guest population between the two. This inventory misalignment will also provide plenty of headaches for Club Med’s sales teams in terms of holiday package design.
Moving that many people between properties will also prove a challenge. Chartering an Airbus A380 superjumbo for such a journey seems farcical, although eight to 10 coach-loads per day is almost equally implausible.
Bookings for the new resort go on sale from 14 Oct, with seven-, eight-, nine- and 10-night packages expected to be available. While travellers will be able to book a stay at the beach resort easily enough, including online, securing a tent at the safari resort will require a call to Club Med’s phone reservations teams to ensure a three-night minimum stay requirement at the beach resort is met. There will be no minimum stay requirement at Mpilo Safari Lodge.
Flight frequency between the beach resort and the lodge remains undecided, making daily charters a potential option. Similarly, safari drive schedules are being adapted to balance demand with conservation priorities.
Davies remains candid about these hurdles.
“Safaris can be a logistical nightmare for clients to try and navigate themselves,” she says. “We know there are a lot of safari specialist travel agents out there, but we really believe Club Med is going to provide something that is purpose-fit for families.”
Travel agents will play a pivotal role. Club Med has held cluster events in the past and is rolling out webinars and currently conducting in-store training to prepare them, also opening early access to pricing before official bookings open next month. This ensures agents can guide clients through what is, for many, a once-in-a-lifetime trip.
Building with purpose
Club Med’s dual-resort concept-turned-reality represents an investment of more than ZAR2 billion (A$176 million), which has been funded by a South African consortium and developed by Collins Residential. It has created over 800 direct jobs and 1,500 indirect ones, while training programmes are already preparing young locals for hospitality careers.
Built on a former sugarcane plantation, the project incorporates dune forests and wetlands into its design. Solar car parks, water-saving systems, and natural ventilation have been planned, alongside Club Med’s ‘Bye-Bye Plastics’ initiative.
“Club Med’s entry brings not only international visitors but also sustainable infrastructure and long-term local upliftment,” Auret emphasises.
“It reinforces KwaZulu-Natal’s unique value – pristine beaches, rich Zulu heritage, and a year-round subtropical climate.”
A turning point
For Club Med, the South African launch is part of a broader global push. Resorts still to come in Borneo (2026) and Oman (2028) are under construction, each one reflecting the brand’s pivot from poolside indolence to “experiential luxury”.
“Travel expectations are shifting,” Davies says. “Customers want experiential holidays that are hassle-free that take the stress out of organising, and that are catered to families.”
“This dual concept is quite revolutionary for Club Med, and very much leans into what customers are now looking for.”
The new frontier
Club Med South Africa Beach & Safari promises more than a holiday. It may become a new model for experiential family travel – a way to experience two of Africa’s most iconic landscapes without flipping a coin or compromising on both.
Picture it again. Children splashing in a family pool while parents sip wine at the Nguni Gourmet Club. Mornings spent spotting lions and evenings watching dolphins. A holiday that balances relaxation with discovery, luxury with logistics.
As Auret puts it: “This format expands the category’s appeal, particularly to new or nervous safari-goers. It’s a game-changer for multi-generational travel and family bonding in the bush.”
For South Africa, it’s a new path for its tourism sector to navigate. For Club Med, it’s a statement of intent. And for families seeking both the wild and the wonderful, it might just be the holiday of a lifetime.
