The global pioneer of premium all-inclusive holidays, Club Med, has taken its signature blend of sun, style, and stress-free luxury one rather audacious step further—into the African wilds. And in true Club Med fashion, they’ve added a rather entertaining twist.
To herald the arrival of its brand-new Club Med Beach & Safari, South Africa resort — the company’s first foray into the Rainbow Nation and the safari sphere — Club Med has launched an interactive experience for travel agents and wanderlust-filled travellers alike. Dubbed Journey to Paradise, this digital jaunt is part education, part entertainment, and part golden ticket.
The grand prize? A seven-night family escape for four to Club Med’s groundbreaking South African property, complete with flights courtesy of South African Airways. It’s a safari dream wrapped in a surfboard sprinkled with biltong and beachside luxury.
An adventure born of ambition
Michelle Davies, General Manager for Club Med Pacific and New ESAP Markets, said the launch marked a bold step in Club Med’s 75-year history.
“More than just a new resort, Club Med Beach & Safari reflects our vision for the future of travel — seamless, experience-driven and soul-stirring,” Davies said.
“This marks our first dual-location experience and our debut safari product. It’s a new chapter not just for Club Med, but for how modern travellers connect with destinations that combine wilderness and wonder.”
Indeed, if a company can turn the traditional safari experience on its head — and sprinkle it with rosé and paddleboarding — it’s Club Med.
A resort with two faces and one wild heart
Set along the unspoiled North Coast of KwaZulu-Natal, the new Club Med resort will be the first all-inclusive beach-and-safari combo in South Africa. This travel concept pairs Blue Flag beaches and estuary views with proximity to some of Africa’s most famous wildlife.
The coastal side of the resort, a short drive from Durban’s King Shaka International Airport, is home to Club Med’s first-ever surf academy, a waterfront estuary, and a generous helping of South African flair. Whether it’s stand-up paddleboarding, archery, or simply devouring local cuisine under the stars, the resort caters to young families, couples, multigenerational travellers and that elusive breed. This solo holidaymaker likes people.
But the real jewel in this particular African crown is a 45-minute charter flight away — Club Med’s dedicated safari lodge. Here, guests will swap boardshorts for binoculars and flip-flops for four-wheel drives in search of Africa’s fabled Big Five.
The safari retreat will feature 75 rooms with a natural swimming pool, an adult-only zone, and family-friendly interconnected rooms. Private jacuzzis and quiet lounges promise creature comforts between lion sightings.
For those who fancy just a tad more exclusivity, Club Med’s Exclusive Collection Space delivers a boutique hotel feel with its own pool, personalised concierge service, and private lounge.
Learning by leisure: The quiz to win it all
To drum up awareness and reward curiosity, Club Med invites travel agents and clients to participate in a light-hearted but informative competition called Journey to Paradise — a clever way of learning about the resort’s offerings while vying for the grand prize.
Eight quizzes will be launched in succession over four weeks, each offering nuggets of information about Club Med and its new South African experience. But enthusiasm, not encyclopaedic knowledge, will win the day—all participants need to do is complete the quizzes to be in the running.
As Michelle Davies cheekily noted, “We’re more interested in excitement than exam results!”
The competition is live now via the Club Med for Travel Agents Facebook page and is open to agents and customers alike. Those wishing to dip a toe into paradise should keep an eye on the page for each new quiz release.
🎯 Start the quiz here: Club Med for Travel Agents Portal.
Opening the gates to paradise
Sales for Club Med Beach & Safari officially open on Tuesday, 14 October 2025. The doors are expected to swing wide for guests from July 2026, just in time for the southern hemisphere winter sun seekers and northern hemisphere summer breakers to converge.
The launch marks a bold new direction for the global brand, tapping into the growing appetite for experience-rich, hybrid holidays — ones that are as invigorating as indulgent.
As Davies puts it, “We’re inviting people to rediscover South Africa in a way that’s seamless, unforgettable, and with just the right amount of Club Med magic.”
So, if you’ve ever dreamed of sipping cocktails one day and stalking giraffes the next (camera in hand), your next all-inclusive may well be in the bush — not by accident, but by inspired design.
By Sandra Jones
