{"id":846270,"date":"2025-12-12T09:02:37","date_gmt":"2025-12-12T07:02:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=846270"},"modified":"2025-12-12T12:41:42","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T10:41:42","slug":"international-company-pumping-money-into-new-r50-billion-luxury-city-in-south-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/property\/846270\/international-company-pumping-money-into-new-r50-billion-luxury-city-in-south-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"International company pumping money into new R50 billion luxury &#8216;city&#8217; in South Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Zimbali, already one of South Africa\u2019s most exclusive developments, is set for a massive upgrade that will transform it into a sprawling R50 billion luxury coastal resort &#8216;city&#8217;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Developer IFA Hotels &amp; Resorts (IFAHR) has unveiled its Zimbali Vision 2030, a concept designed to reshape the North Coast of KwaZulu-Natal.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Zimbali Vision 2030 is centred on two massive projects:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A world-class Marina Development, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Zimbali Country Estate is positioned across the N2 from Zimbali Lakes.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>IFAHR said that the expansion will expand the Zimbali footprint and integrate sustainable living on a scale rarely seen in South Africa.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dubai-headquartered IFAHR has a presence across four continents and was listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cZimbali Vision 2030 represents the convergence of global expertise and local ambition,\u201d says Werner Burger, CEO, IFA Hotels &amp; Resorts SA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cWe are introducing international design, infrastructure, and lifestyle concepts to South Africa, many for the first time in KwaZulu-Natal, and in some instances, the first in Africa.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOur goal is to set a new benchmark for sustainable estate living, where innovation, environmental sensitivity, and meaningful community impact coexist.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Over the last 20 years, there has been an investment of over R30 billion in:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Zimbali Coastal Resort \u2014 Project One<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Zimbali Lakes Resort \u2014 Project Two, currently under construction, including the Ernie Els Signature Course, which Ernie Els opened in April 2025<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The marina and country estate mark IFAHR\u2019s third major long-term investment cycle.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">R50 billion total&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><a  data-lightbox=\"post-image\" href=\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/MarinaView-1-Aerial-scaled-e1765521107977.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"577\" src=\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/MarinaView-1-Aerial-scaled-e1765521107977-1024x577.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-846273\" srcset=\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/MarinaView-1-Aerial-scaled-e1765521107977-1024x577.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/MarinaView-1-Aerial-scaled-e1765521107977-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/MarinaView-1-Aerial-scaled-e1765521107977-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/MarinaView-1-Aerial-scaled-e1765521107977.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>The introduction of the Zimbali Marina and Zimbali Country Estate will also expand the brand and master plan from R30 billion to an estimated R50 billion.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>IFAHR creates a 20-year development pipeline and positions KwaZulu-Natal as one of South Africa\u2019s most competitive coastal destinations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It added that the first of the two concepts, the Zimbali Marina, is a response to the National Government\u2019s marine economic initiatives.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Marina aims to create a vibrant waterside destination that combines tourism, leisure, fishing, and commercial and hospitality activities.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe goal is to position KwaZulu-Natal\u2019s North Coast as a globally competitive coastal destination by creating a recreational landmark marina and introducing premium waterfront residential living.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cA proposed breakwater structure will convert an unsafe beach into a swimmable, family-friendly shoreline, strengthening public safety, tourism appeal, and ecological resilience.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Zimbali Country Estate will follow and present new land and lifestyle prospects.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The country estate is expected to launch in early 2026 and will introduce roughly 1,000 new residential opportunities.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Properties are expected to range from one-hectare gentleman\u2019s Estates and Farm-Style acre plots to residential sites, starting from under R1 million.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The estate is designed as an agriculture-integrated precinct, offering sustainable countryside living in a secure and modern estate framework.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The development will also create a self-sustaining suburban ecosystem where golf, nature, agriculture, lifestyle, tourism, hospitality, and commercial activity integrate within a single visionary master plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>IFAHR stated that Vision 2030 supports the national government\u2019s strategic objectives, including economic transformation, tourism expansion, infrastructure development, and job creation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Zimbali Vision 2030, in conjunction with current developments, is expected to generate approximately 40,000 direct and indirect jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The contractor strategy mandates the prioritisation of local labour, the support of small regional contractors and a sustained commitment to training and skills transfer.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Vision 2030 introduces a long-term environmental approach, including estuary rehabilitation, pollution control and biodiversity protection.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Zimbali Vision 2030<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><a  data-lightbox=\"post-image\" href=\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/MarinaView-2-Marina-To-Ocean-scaled-e1765521126262.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"577\" src=\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/MarinaView-2-Marina-To-Ocean-scaled-e1765521126262-1024x577.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-846275\" srcset=\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/MarinaView-2-Marina-To-Ocean-scaled-e1765521126262-1024x577.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/MarinaView-2-Marina-To-Ocean-scaled-e1765521126262-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/MarinaView-2-Marina-To-Ocean-scaled-e1765521126262-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/MarinaView-2-Marina-To-Ocean-scaled-e1765521126262.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><a  data-lightbox=\"post-image\" href=\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/MarinaView-4-Marina-03-1-scaled-e1765521145141.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"577\" src=\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/MarinaView-4-Marina-03-1-scaled-e1765521145141-1024x577.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-846276\" srcset=\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/MarinaView-4-Marina-03-1-scaled-e1765521145141-1024x577.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/MarinaView-4-Marina-03-1-scaled-e1765521145141-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/MarinaView-4-Marina-03-1-scaled-e1765521145141-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/MarinaView-4-Marina-03-1-scaled-e1765521145141.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><a  data-lightbox=\"post-image\" href=\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/MarinaView-6-Harbor-1-scaled-e1765521167668.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"577\" src=\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/MarinaView-6-Harbor-1-scaled-e1765521167668-1024x577.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-846278\" srcset=\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/MarinaView-6-Harbor-1-scaled-e1765521167668-1024x577.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/MarinaView-6-Harbor-1-scaled-e1765521167668-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/MarinaView-6-Harbor-1-scaled-e1765521167668-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/MarinaView-6-Harbor-1-scaled-e1765521167668.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Developer IFA Hotels &#038; Resorts is set to add a marina and country estate to the highly-popular Zimbali in KZN. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":95,"featured_media":846278,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12755],"tags":[24394,23223],"class_list":["post-846270","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-property","tag-ifa-hotels-resorts","tag-zimbali"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/846270","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/95"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=846270"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/846270\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":846378,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/846270\/revisions\/846378"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/846278"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=846270"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=846270"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=846270"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}