Property

R131,272 for a week-long stay at South Africa’s most expensive resort

Bianke Neethling • 15 August 2026

A seven-night stay for two adults at the new Club Med resort in KwaZulu-Natal can cost R131,272, which works out to R18,753 per night.

This resort is the first of its kind in South Africa and opened its doors to the public with much fanfare in July 2026.

The Club Med resort in KwaZulu-Natal is a major R2.1 billion development built over the span of 28 months.

South Africans can now visit the resort’s part-beach and part-safari location on KwaZulu-Natal’s north coast.

However, a stay at Club Med does not come cheap, with many rooms starting at R30,000 per night, though it can work out cheaper over a longer stay.

Daily Investor found that a seven-night stay in Club Med’s Exclusive Collection Space suite, from 9 to 16 January 2027, will cost R131,272.

This works out to R18,753.14 per night, and includes all of the amenities that Club Med is known for.

France-based Club Med, which operates 60 hotels around the world, pioneered the premium, all-inclusive resort concept.

Visitors to a Club Med resort know that the price of their stay includes a room, gourmet dining, open bars, sports lessons, childcare, daily entertainment, and other offerings available at the particular resort.

Therefore, the price for a stay at a Club Med resort can seem exorbitant compared to an a la carte hotel offering, where the price of a stay includes only the room.

At the Club Med resort in KwaZulu-Natal, the price Daily Investor found includes a suite, sports and activities, all meals, and bar and snack services.

This is not to say that a Club Med stay is affordable for the vast majority of South Africans. With the average salary in South Africa being R29,690, it is barely enough to cover one night’s stay.

However, the resort in KwaZulu-Natal is also aimed at foreigners travelling in South Africa, to whom the price may be more within reach.

The role of resorts in tourism

Following the Covid-19 pandemic, South Africa’s tourism industry has been steadily recovering, and the international tourism sector only returned to pre-pandemic levels in 2025.

Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) reported that the country welcomed 10.5 million tourists in 2025, a 17.7% increase from the 8.9 million tourists recorded in 2024.

The agency pointed out that tourist arrivals were also 2.6% higher in 2025 than the 2019 pre-pandemic level.

Stats SA noted that South Africa continues to be seen primarily as a leisure destination, with 97.3% of tourists visiting for holiday purposes.

This means offerings like hotels and resorts play a crucial role in the local tourism sector, particularly those aimed at overseas visitors, and can be highly lucrative.

Market intelligence firm Mordor Intelligence said South Africa’s hospitality market size is expected to grow from $11.49 billion (R185.87 billion) in 2025 to $12.19 billion (R197.19 billion) in 2026.

Mordor projects that the sector will reach $16.34 billion (R264.33 billion) by 2031, achieving a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.05%.

“The post-pandemic rebound in international arrivals, the recovery of meetings and events, and supportive government incentives position the sector for sustained growth,” the firm said.

However, this growth is not expected to be even across hospitality types, with chain hotels currently leading with 60.12% market share.

Growth is also not projected to be even across regions, with Gauteng holding 29.95% of the country’s hospitality market share.

The Western Cape is the fastest-growing hospitality region in South Africa, expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.05% to 2031.