Durban’s Dolphin Coast meets Big Five safari in a single booking and it’s arriving in July 2026
Club Med has announced its South African debut: Club Med South Africa Beach & Safari. A new all-inclusive escape on KwaZulu-Natal’s Dolphin Coast that pairs Indian Ocean beach days with a Big Five safari add-on. Opening July 2026, the resort sits about 30 minutes from King Shaka International Airport and folds the brand’s easy, one-price holiday model into one of the country’s most spectacular regions.
The concept is a two-for-one adventure. Set on wild beachfront north of of the bustling city of Durban, the main seaside resort will be your base for swims, sand and long, lazy lunches; then guests can switch gears to Mpilo Safari Lodge, Club Med’s sister outpost inside a private 18,000-hectare reserve that’s home to the Big Five. The brand is recommending 7 to 10 nights (including 2 to 3 at the safari lodge) or a longer 14-night itinerary that adds a Cape Town side trip, making it easy to stitch coast, bush and the Western Cape into a single holiday. Sales open October 2025.
Design-wise, the resort promises a strong sense of place. Club Med has tapped South African studios Craft of Architecture and Mobius, alongside French design house Studio Marc Hertrich & Nicolas Adnet, to weave Zulu craftsmanship through the property. Beadwork-inspired façades, hand-woven textiles and public spaces curated with local art. The goal is to feel unmistakably South African while keeping the breezy, social vibe Club Med is known for. As the company’s president Stéphane Maquaire puts it, the project continues the brand’s habit of landing in exceptional destinations and creating value for the communities around them.
For UAE travellers, the pitch is simple: minimal planning, maximum variety. Wake to the roar of the ocean, then a few days later trade the surf for sunrise game drives; keep your wallet mostly in your pocket thanks to the all-inclusive model; and let Club Med’s “everything handled” approach remove the friction between two very different holiday moods. If you’ve been waiting for a one-booking way to mix beach and bush, without piecing together separate lodges and transfers, this looks tailor-made.
Club Med South Africa Beach & Safari opens July 2026 on the Dolphin Coast (north of Durban). Mpilo Safari Lodge sits inside a private 18,000-hectare reserve.
> Sign up for FREE to get exclusive updates that you are interested in
