In 1950, Belgian entrepreneur Grard Blitz launched Club Mditerrane in Mallorca, Spain, with a simple idea: a village-style retreat fostering joy, connection, and nature. Now, 75 years later, that philosophy is taking root on KwaZulu-Natals North Coast.
At Tinley Manor, Club Med is developing its first resort in South Africa. The roughly R2 billion project is a joint venture with Collins Residential, which first proposed the concept in 2017 as a way to introduce a globally recognised, all-inclusive offering to the region. The resort is scheduled to open in July 2026.
Travel trade professionals and media were invited to tour the site mid-construction, offering a behind-the-scenes look at a resort still in progress.
When complete, the resort is expected to create over 1 000 jobs, with a strong focus on local employment. Central to this is the Nukakamma Hospitality Training Programme, empowering approximately 130-160 youth from surrounding areas with world-class skills, with training by Michelin-starred Chef, Pascal Favre dAnne .
The resort will have 400 rooms and villas, a 500-seat conference facility, Club Meds first global surf school and access to a Big Five reserve near Pongola. The beach-to-bush concept is intended to appeal to both leisure and business travellers, while broadening KZNs tourism offering.