From powder-white beaches to the wildlife-rich parks of Africa, a subtle shift is unfolding in the world of African luxury travel, as brands more often associated with island holidays and fly-and-flop indulgence take their first dusty steps into the safari space. And it makes sense. Lessons learnt from the resort landscape — emotional moments, thoughtful touchpoints and curated elements of personalization — are as at home in the bush as they are on the beach.
Of course, the idea of high-end brands segueing into new areas of experiential luxury is nothing new. Brands such as Range Rover and Ferrari have expanded into luxury fashion. Bulgari and Armani have entered the hotel industry, and an array of luxury fashion and fragrance houses now offer everything from fine-dining restaurants to upscale tea rooms. Louis Vuitton, not satisfied with their Café V locations and the restaurant in Osaka, expanded their presence at Doha’s airport in 2025 with the Louis Vuitton Lounge by Yannick Alléno.
But on our African doorstep it’s been fascinating to observe hotel resort brands flex into a world of new travel experiences.
Since its founding in 2011, LUX* Resorts and Hotels has expanded to operate more than a dozen properties worldwide. Beyond its well-established presence in Mauritius — where most South Africans will have encountered the brand — Réunion, Zanzibar, the Maldives and China, new openings have been announced in the UAE, Vietnam, Bali and Oman. They have now set their sights on southern Africa with plans for two complementary destinations that tap into a proven safari circuit.
LUX* Xinii Mababe in Botswana’s Okavango Delta will be the first on the continent and is set to open in early 2027, offering a “futuristic, high-end safari camp with about 26 lodges, designed to blend luxury with the wildlife landscape,” says Carlos Luis, Sales & Business Development: South Africa & Africa for The Lux Collective. A second safari-style property — LUX* Xinii Victoria Falls — is set to open in Zimbabwe in 2028.
“The expansion into Africa and the safari space is a natural evolution of the LUX* brand,” says Luis, who highlights the “experience-led approach at each resort” as key to the LUX* offering.
“Today’s luxury traveller is seeking depth of experience, connection to nature, wellness, culture and a sense of discovery, not just traditional resort luxury,” says Luis. “Safari destinations offer a compelling platform to deliver all of this, while allowing LUX* to reinterpret the safari experience through its own lens of design, comfort, wellbeing and meaningful guest moments… Africa isn’t a departure from the brand; it’s a broader canvas for it.”
Nico Vivier is equally passionate about the potential for a new interpretation of the safari experience: “Africa sits at the intersection of two very powerful trends: the desire for meaningful, experience-led travel and a growing appetite for destinations that feel rare, authentic and deeply connected to nature.”
As Regional Director of Operations & Development in Africa for Minor Hotels, Vivier has spent the years after Covid mapping how the luxury market has evolved in Africa, highlighting the destinations that resonate with a new generation of travellers.
“What stood out was how many of our guests naturally gravitated towards the Livingstone and Victoria Falls region, and how strong the opportunity was to create a true luxury safari and wilderness circuit for that journey. Anantara Kafue River Tented Camp, opening in June 2026, represents the first chapter of the strategy.”
While Anantara has properties in cities and cultural capitals, jungles and mountains, South African travellers likely recognise it for its island resorts in Mozambique and Asia. Though safari lodges and larger hotels in Zimbabwe and Zambia have broadened the appeal, it is with the new opening in Zambia’s Kafue National Park that Anantara can now offer a more comprehensive safari circuit in Zambia.
“From a guest perspective, Africa offers something increasingly difficult to find elsewhere — vast landscapes, raw beauty, cultural depth and a sense of discovery. From a brand perspective, it aligns perfectly with Anantara’s DNA,” says Vivier.
Guests arriving at Anantara Kafue National Park later in 2026 are also likely to encounter an experience that ticks all the boxes of a high-end safari but is woven through with the signature Anantara touches, from arrival rituals and storytelling to architectural design and culinary signatures.
“The goal is not to replace what traditional safari brands do so well, but to complement it with layers of experiential luxury that today’s travellers have come to expect,” says Vivier. And while design, architecture and service are key pillars of the brand, it’s wellness where Anantara could really shake up the safari space.
“Anantara brings a depth of expertise that translates beautifully into the safari environment,” says Vivier, and each guest villa and suite at Anantara Kafue River Tented Camp includes a private wellness space. “Our focus is not on generic spa menus, but on creating wellness experiences that are rooted in nature, culture and the rhythms of the location itself.”
Down on the KwaZulu-Natal north coast, another resort brand focuses less on finding serenity and more on delivering unbridled technicolour fun.
In July 2026, Club Med will open its first resort in sub-Saharan Africa, with 411 rooms on the Dolphin Coast leaning into the brand’s successful resort recipe of sun and sea (or snow). However, the new Club Med South Africa Beach & Safari will mark another first for the brand, with Vikela Safari Lodge weaving a safari element into the resort experience.
“This is not a new idea; it’s been in the making for many years,” explains Olivier Perillat-Piratoine, MD of Club Med Southern Africa. “The idea was to offer something different to our global customers that we know they would enjoy.”
Set in an 18,000ha private reserve near Pongola, about four hours’ drive from the beach resort, Vikela Safari Lodge brings a Club Med ethos to the under-canvas safari experience. Vikela Safari Lodge will offer guests stays of up to three nights, with tented suites, twice-daily game drives and a variety of family-focused activities.
“This lodge adds a truly adventurous element to the Club Med experience,” adds Piratoine, who flags the Club Med all-inclusive offering as key to making “the safari experience more approachable for families, first-timers and international travellers looking for ease without sacrificing authenticity.”
The ability to seamlessly switch from beach to bush and back again is sure to appeal to brand fans. What’s emerging is a safari offering that borrows the best of the island playbook — ease, ritual and perfectly timed moments of delight — then drops it into a wild landscape. We’ll start packing our bags.
