R2-billion North Coast hospitality boost as Tinley Manor earmarked for new Club Med resort
Club Med Tinley will be Africa's ninth Club Med site, joining the three in Mauritius, two in Morocco and one each in Tunisia, Senegal and the Seychelles.
The North Coast will soon be home to the first Club Med resort in mainland Sub-Saharan Africa.
‘Club Med Tinley’ was officially announced this week and will begin construction at a prime beachfront site previously owned by Tongaat Hulett in Tinley Manor early next year.
The site is just north of Tinley Manor, in the area between the ski boat club and a natural lagoon.
Total investment into the region is slated at over R2-billion and the resort is expected to be complete in July 2026.
The 32-hectare beachfront site will include 342 rooms and 64 suites, as well as a large conference centre and the resort amenities that have come to be associated with all-inclusive Club Med stays.
In conjunction with the beach resort, an 80-room game lodge in a currently unnamed game reserve in Zululand will also be developed.
Both will be developed in line with international eco-certification standards to match the sustainable tourism ethos of Club Med.
Club Med Tinley will be Africa’s ninth Club Med site, joining the three in Mauritius, two in Morocco and one each in Tunisia, Senegal and the Seychelles.
Sixty-five ski and beach resorts are operated by Club Med worldwide.
KwaZulu-Natal has long been a target destination for the French hospitality giants, and initial interest was first reported in 2007 with a view of setting up a resort before the 2010 Soccer World Cup.
The Courier further reported that development talks were at an advanced stage in 2019 but the project was shelved during the Covid-19 pandemic.
But the time is finally right for the long gestating project to come to fruition and it will be developed by Collins Residential.
Photo: Chris Allan.
“Since its creation in 1950, Club Med has been a pioneer in discovering new exceptional destinations. With this new project, together with our partner the Collins Residential Consortium, we aim to create value to the local communities and contribute to the international prestige of the beautiful province of KwaZulu-Natal,” said president of Club Med, Henri Giscard d’Estaing.
The project will create 800 permanent and 1 500 indirect jobs, with a further 1 200 construction jobs to be included in the development period.
This will inject a significant economic boost into the region and was welcomed by the iLembe Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Tourism.
“The Chamber celebrates, especially, the economic opportunities and growth that the resort will bring to the broader area, through substantial investments in infrastructure, construction, and the ongoing operations of the resort,” said Chamber CEO, Cobus Oelofse.
“Known for developing and managing resorts in the world’s most beautiful and privileged locations, it is envisaged that Club Med Tinley will provide a tourism boost, increasing the North Coast’s international exposure and enhancing its profile as a travel destination.
“This benefit will not be limited to the resort itself, but also local businesses, and, importantly, other attractions in the region being explored by travellers.”
Development on the North Coast is reaching an all-time high and the investment of international companies is evidence of worldwide confidence in the area.
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