Durban - The KwaZulu-Natal North Coast will be the home of the first Club Med resort in the country – Club Med Tinley.
This was announced at a signing ceremony and launch event for the development held on Tuesday in uMhlanga.
It was attended by KZN Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube; president of Club Med Henri Giscard d’Estaing; and CEO of Collins Residential Murray Collins.
The development is the result of a collaborative partnership between Club Med and the Collins Residential Consortium, the developers of Club Med Tinley, a statement about the launch read.
It said Club Med Tinley would provide a “beach and bush experience”.
“The Beach Resort at Club Med Tinley will feature fun family activities, creating a warm and inclusive environment. Guests at Club Med Tinley will also have the opportunity to stay at a Big-5 game reserve, located 3½ hours by road, or a swift 40-minute flight from the resort. Here, an 80-room lodge will be developed to Club Med standards in order to offer guests a dual beach and safari experience during their stay.”
It was expected that the development would generate more than 800 direct jobs and 1 500 indirect jobs.
During the construction phase, the project would employ 1 200 construction workers.
“Supported by South African debt funders and equity partners, Club Med Tinley represents an investment exceeding R2 billion under the enterprise of Tinley Leisure (Pty) Ltd. The construction period is estimated to be 28 months, commencing in early 2024, with the resort opening scheduled for around July 2026,” the statement read.
Giscard d’Estaing said: “Tourism is key to growing a country’s economy. We have been through terrible times due to Covid-19, and the commencement of Club Med Tinley is a clear sign that tourism is recovering.”
He said they had had massive success with Club Med in Cancun, Bali and Mauritius, and expected the same in KwaZulu-Natal.
“We want to do something different by displaying the Zulu culture and South African wildlife. We chose KwaZuluNatal as it is a beautiful place, it has a world-class international airport, has good weather throughout the year, a culture of welcoming guests, and a great partner in Collins Residential,” Giscard d’Estaing said.
“We have over a million clients internationally, and we know that whenever we open another Club Med our international clients follow, so we can expect that there will be a lot of international clients coming to KZN, and it will bring a huge boost to the economy. We also want South African families to come and enjoy Club Med Tinley.”
Dube-Ncube said the signing ceremony of Club Med Tinley was a momentous occasion.
“This truly displays that our economy is open for business and that our KZN economy is recovering from the devastation we faced. We hope that this launch will attract even more investment to South Africa,” she said.
Collins said the development would provide a boost to the economy.
“Together with equity partners made up of private investors and companies with roots in South Africa, the Collins Residential Consortium’s ground-breaking venture into the Club Med resort reflects our dedication to enhancing the tourism landscape in southern Africa, serving as a driving force for regional growth,” he said.
