The new R2bn Club Med on the KwaZulu-Natal north coast – regarded as unspoiled and off the beaten track – will not only provide a vacation spot for international jetsetters, but is a dream come true for local hospitality graduates.
In October the company will open bookings to its Club Med South Africa Beach & Safari, which it says “will be the new lodestar” in its worldwide constellation of luxury resorts.
The resort will create more than 800 direct and 1,500 indirect jobs, and already employs 1,200 construction workers, mostly from neighbouring communities.
A hundred-and-ten young people have already enrolled in a training programme via the NukaKamma Hospitality School and will gradually join the resort staff after completing an initial traineeship at Club Med resorts.
Gilles Blanc, head of business development at NukaKamma, told TimesLIVE Premium the aim of the programme is to provide world-class training in food and beverage service.
“There is a lot of hidden talent among young adults from disadvantaged communities. People really want to try their best to get a new life.”
The school is based in Addo, Eastern Cape.
“We are a non-profit company, we only train young adults from these communities whom we recruit by working with local NGOs. In Durban we work with Africa Ignite, who has been working in communities for many years.
“We only take people who are committed and motivated. They have to pay a fee of R2,000. It is a lot of money, but it shows they are really committed. This initial fee does not cover the cost of the training, it is paid by the companies that are sponsoring us, like Club Med.”
The training lasts for six months and incorporates both technical and social skills.
“Following this, the trainees will do an eight-month apprenticeship in a hotel or restaurant that has partnered with us,” said Blanc.
Club Med Southern Africa MD Olivier Perillat-Piratoine said graduates will be offered employment at the new Club Med where they will put their newly acquired skills to work.
“The programme opens opportunities for future international careers, with the potential for graduates to work at Club Med resorts worldwide.
“Michelin-starred Chef Pascal Favre d’Anne will serve as a mentor, ensuring that the culinary and hospitality standards are held to the highest benchmarks and setting a global standard for talent development.”
Just over a year ago, the luxurious beach resort's 32-hectare site was a sugar-cane plantation with spectacular ocean views. Now it’s a hive of activity as the developers of the resort race to meet the July 2026 opening.
For several years, the company had been looking for the ideal location to build its first upmarket resort in South Africa, before settling on Tinley Manor on the north coast.
“Ever since it was founded in 1950, Club Med has always been a pioneer in exploring and establishing resorts in extraordinary places. Our new project seeks to create value for the local communities and enhance the international appeal of the magnificent province of KwaZulu-Natal,” said Henri Giscard d’Estaing, president of Club Med.
“By choosing to set up a resort in a region that is still unspoiled and far off the beaten track, Club Med is reaffirming its pioneering spirit and its penchant for daring and discovery. Club Med is charting a new travel itinerary in an unexpected location, where travellers can relish nature while completely disconnecting from their everyday lives,” he said.
Perillat-Piratoine said the local resort is being carefully crafted to provide an “unparalleled experience of relaxation, adventure and cultural immersion, while maintaining a deep respect for the environment”.
The resort has been designed by local firms Craft of Architecture and Mobius Interior Architecture, in collaboration with the French-based Studio Marc Hertrich & Nicolas Adnet.
Perillat-Piratoine said the design team was inspired by Zulu culture and coastal living.
While the cost to stay at the resort has not been revealed, the average price of a stay at a Club Med — depending on the resort’s location, amenities offered and the season — ranges from R75,000 to R380,000 for a family of four for a week’s stay.
Apart from a beach holiday, guests will also experience an immersive safari adventure based at Mpilo Safari Lodge, situated on a private 18,000-hectare game reserve, in Zululand.
“For the first time ever, Club Med will give holidaymakers a chance to discover South Africa’s flora and fauna at a private game reserve for resort guests only, for ages 4 and up,” said Perillat-Piratoine.
The lodge will accommodate couples and families in 75 premium tents, appointed with all the comforts and conveniences of a Club Med experience: panoramic views, a swimming pool in the adult lounge area, a restaurant, a supervised children’s zone with water games to romp in and family-friendly play areas
— Olivier Perillat-Piratoine, Club Med Southern Africa MD
The lodge, home to the Big Five, is located a 45-minute flight (or 4½-hour drive) from the beach resort.
“Every day, guided safaris, accompanied by experienced rangers, will head out in search of the ‘Big Five’ — lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos and Cape buffalo — in their natural element. A special safari for families with small children will also be offered so everyone can fully experience the magic of the African savannah,” he said.
“The lodge will accommodate couples and families in 75 premium tents, appointed with all the comforts and conveniences of a Club Med experience: panoramic views, a swimming pool in the adult lounge area, a restaurant, a supervised children’s zone with water games to romp in and family-friendly play areas.”
The beach resort will have 345 rooms, including 310 superior and 35 deluxe rooms.
“Bright, functional and outward-facing, they combine untreated natural materials, colours inspired by the South African coast and contemporary design to create a welcoming and exotic atmosphere,” said Perillat-Piratoine.
The exclusive Ilanga section has 66 suites for a more intimate holiday experience, including personalised service as well as a lounge.
The resort is being constructed around terraces opening onto tropical gardens and four pools — the main pool in the middle of the village, a Zen pool for adults, a family pool area and an exclusive pool in the Ilanga section.
Two restaurants will be on site including Oceana, for dishes inspired by world cuisine, and the Nguni Gourmet Club for a refined dining experience featuring South African seafood and local produce, as well as several bars.
On the list of recreational activities will be a surf school, guided gravel bike tours through sugarcane fields to paths along the coast, padel courts, flying trapeze rigs and yoga classes.
“For those with a yen for deep relaxation, the facilities will include a wellness centre replete with spa, hammam and thatched-roof palapa,” said Perillat-Piratoine.
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