Prominent business leaders and politicians are confident that the international visibility of Club Med’s introduction to Tinley Manor will catalyse further investment in our coastline.

While guests were first welcomed to the R2-billion Tinley Manor resort and Vikela Safari Lodge in northern KZN on July 4, the combined development was officially inaugurated last Thursday. It is the largest hospitality investment in South Africa since Sun City in the 1970s.

Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille called Club Med a “jewel” for the province while delivering an address on behalf of President Cyril Ramaphosa, who was unable to attend due to illness.

“This mega development is a vote of confidence in South Africa and the future of our tourism industry,” she said reading the President’s address.

De Lille said South Africa welcomed 6.5 million tourists between January and July this year, an increase of 12.4% from 2025. She said Ethiopian Airlines had committed to four weekly flights between Addis Ababa and King Shaka International Airport from December 11, while talks are ongoing with Air France to introduce a direct Paris-Durban flight.

iLembe Chamber of Commerce CEO Cobus Oelofse highlighted the development’s contribution to employment and said municipal infrastructure and service delivery would need to keep pace with private investment.

“Club Med brings new international visitor flows and destination visibility that would have been difficult to create organically,” he said.

“However, the resort is a part of the local equation. The real multiplier comes with the shared relationship between the resort, other lifestyle developments, the supply chain and the local business community.”

Club Med says it uses more than 35 local service providers.

Ballito-based IPSS Security manages resort security, while two familiar Ballito Lifestyle Centre names – Scoop Ice Cream and Yoli’s Bakery – have found themselves neighbours again, this time inside Club Med’s Oceana restaurant. Adorning the walls in the restaurant are prints of whale paintings by Salt Rock artist Leigh Bisset, while Durban’s Hurricane Surf run Club Med’s first-ever surf school.

“Its a real privilege to work with such a big international brand. I have already had a query from a French visitor about getting a painting,” said Bisset.

Local involvement also began long before the first guests arrived.

Umhlanga-based Collins Residential led the development, while several members of the professional team have North Coast links. Project architects Craft of Architecture have an Umdloti office and landscape architects Land Art Studio are based in Salt Rock.

Local day-trip and activity providers also add to the wider impact in the surrounding community.

More than 2 300 direct and indirect jobs were created during construction, while the development now provides about 600 permanent direct jobs. South Africans make up 84% of the Tinley Manor resort’s workforce, while all Vikela Safari Lodge employees are from surrounding communities.