KwaZulu-Natal’s North Coast is getting a touch of Italian class.

Designer Tonino Lamborghini, the son of famed sports car designer Ferruccio Lamborghini, is to develop a 200-room luxury hotel and 73 branded residences at the upmarket Zimbali Lakes Resort.

The residences are expected to sell for as much ZAR100 000/m² giving the development a potential total sellout value of about ZAR1 billion, according to a  Bloomberg report in Businesstech.

The Zimbali resort, owned by Kuwait-listed IFA Hotels and Resorts Company, features an Ernie Els-designed gold course, luxury mansions and a beach club, while it is also planning to build a marina.

Remarking on his company’s first foray into the continent, Lamborghini said Africa represents ‘one of the most dynamic emerging luxury markets globally’.

‘[This is] the ideal context to introduce a destination that fully reflects my vision, where design, lifestyle and real estate converge into a distinctive experience,’ he said.

The region is also the site of Club Med’s first resort in South Africa, set to open later this year, as well as a growing number of premium lifestyle estates.

30 June 2026
Image: Unsplash