NSRI embarks on a landmark partnership with Club Med

A new adventure is about to begin for the NSRI, one that will see its lifeguards and water safety professionals take their expertise to a world stage. The organisation has been awarded the contract to provide lifeguarding and water safety services for the first-ever Club Med resort in South Africa, a milestone partnership that represents both a tremendous responsibility and an exciting opportunity.

Opening in July 2026 on KwaZulu-Natal’s North Coast, Club Med South Africa Beach and Safari will be the country’s only all-inclusive resort, combining the best of both worlds: the turquoise beauty of the Indian Ocean and the untamed thrill of a Big Five safari. It will be a destination unlike any other, where guests can surf, swim and sunbathe one day, then journey inland to a private wildlife reserve the next.

For the NSRI, this partnership is a moment of great pride. “This partnership grew from a shared vision,” explains Dirk Coetzee, NSRI’s Business Development Manager. “Club Med wanted the very best when it came to water safety at their first-ever South African resort, and the NSRI’s reputation for professionalism, transparency, and operational excellence made us the natural choice.”

The project is being developed by Collins Residential, with Club Med as the Hotel operator – the iconic French pioneer that created the world’s first all-inclusive holiday concept. With a R2.2 billion investment, the resort will stretch across 32 hectares of pristine coastline on the North Coast, just 30 minutes north of King Shaka International Airport. The resort will be packed with amenities, including Club Med’s first-ever Surf School, multiple pools, a dam, access to a pristine beach, a vibrant cultural village, and a 500-seat convention centre. This is South Africa’s largest hospitality investment in over three decades, a catalyst for jobs, tourism, and global recognition.

“This resort is unlike any other in South Africa,” says Dirk. “A blend of family-friendly pools, a dam, beach, surf school, and the open Indian Ocean beyond. Our lifeguarding model reflects that uniqueness. Highly trained teams will manage each water environment with specialised rescue and hospitality expertise. By combining operational readiness with a warm, reassuring presence, we ensure guests experience the very best of Club Med’s world-class holidays with uncompromising water safety at every moment.”

The scale of the project is extraordinary. Each year, thousands of guests will arrive, and NSRI’s teams will ensure that every one of them can enjoy the resort’s waters with complete peace of mind. But this goes beyond managing a high-profile assignment; it’s a moment of recognition and trust. “Being selected through a competitive tender process by a global hospitality leader like Club Med is a powerful endorsement of NSRI as the gold standard for water safety,” says Dirk. “It’s not just about operations; it’s about the confidence placed in our people, our expertise, and our long-standing commitment to saving lives. It elevates our reputation nationally and positions us as a partner capable of delivering at the highest international standard.”

For the NSRI, this is more than a contract, it’s a moment that aligns perfectly with its purpose to save lives, change lives, and create futures.

“By safeguarding thousands of guests each year, we are saving lives,” Dirk explains. “By embedding water safety education into a resort visited by families from across the world, we are changing how people think about water safety. And by proving that South Africa can set new standards in tourism safety, we are creating futures, for our organisation and for the young South Africans who will work at Club Med and carry these skills into their communities.”

As South Africa prepares to welcome the world to its shores, the NSRI will be there, a trusted presence at the heart of this world-first resort, ready to show the world what South African excellence in water rescue truly looks like.

“This partnership belongs to every volunteer, staff member, and supporter who helped build NSRI’s reputation for excellence,” says Dirk. “It’s your standard, your spirit, that made this possible.”