Club Med opens R2bn KwaZulu-Natal resort with 600 permanent jobs

South Africa’s first Club Med resort opened on the KwaZulu-Natal coast on 17 September, a R2 billion development that has created 600 permanent jobs and supports another 1 500 indirect positions through local suppliers.

More than 2 300 direct and indirect jobs were created during construction, according to the address delivered by Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille on behalf of President Cyril Ramaphosa, who was unable to attend. The beach resort’s workforce is 84% South African, and every employee at the Vikela Safari Lodge comes from surrounding communities.

Ramaphosa described the project as the largest hospitality investment in South Africa and the wider Southern African Development Community since Sun City opened in the 1970s. The development is South African-funded and backed by an investment consortium with a commitment to broad-based black economic empowerment.

What the resort means for the North Coast

The Club Med Beach & Safari Resort pairs a beachfront offering on the KwaZulu-Natal coast with a safari experience at Vikela Safari Lodge, giving visitors access to both coastal and wildlife attractions in one province. The president said the combination gives travellers another reason to visit South Africa, to stay longer and to explore beyond the resort itself.

The operation will need fresh produce, maintenance, transport and other services, opening opportunities for small, micro and medium enterprises. Ramaphosa highlighted local procurement and partnerships with smaller tourism operators as ways of spreading the benefits beyond the resort gates.

“This mega-development is a vote of confidence in South African enterprise, in the capabilities of our people and in the future of our tourism industry.”

Construction workers, artisans and contractors gained experience on a project of this scale, experience that could serve them in future developments. The resort’s ongoing operations are expected to create similar openings for businesses supplying it with goods and services.

Arrivals are rising

The opening comes as international tourist arrivals to South Africa continue to grow. Ramaphosa said 6.5 million international tourists arrived between January and July 2026, a 12.4% increase on the same period a year earlier. He expressed confidence that the resort would draw more visitors as the industry prepares for the festive season.

The president also stressed that the tourism industry must protect the natural assets it depends on, saying responsible use of water and energy, reduced waste and care for the surrounding environment should remain part of everyday operations.

He said government, business and communities each carry a share of the work needed to turn investment into wider economic opportunity. “Business has a responsibility to invest for the long term, develop its workforce and build meaningful relationships with the communities around it,” he said. Government’s role, he added, is to provide reliable infrastructure, responsive public services, efficient administration and safe communities.

“When these responsibilities come together, public and private partnership becomes something people can see in their daily lives.”

For the province’s tourism economy, the resort brings a large capital project into operation at a moment of rising arrivals, with an employment and procurement footprint that reaches into surrounding communities and businesses.

Source: Moneyweb, Ramaphosa hails opening of R2bn Club Med SA resort