Ultra-luxury eco-tourism and conservation brand Singita has secured an agreement to expand its footprint to Mozambique for the first time, in the process adding a first marine concession to its portfolio.
The location is home to dugongs, whale sharks, manta rays, marine turtles, dolphins and other coral habitats, unique to the Indian Ocean.
Backed by the Mozambique government, Singita is nearing completion of the deal which will see it build up two lodges in the Bazaruto Archipelago National Marine Park – a highly sought destination by tourists in Mozambique. Singita will inject US$60 million to redevelop Santa Carolina, also known as Paradise Island. The group will invest significant funds on the recovery of Bazaruto archipelago.
“The marine wilderness in Mozambique is some of the best in the world, however it is under immense threats, the marine life and it needs people to come and do more,” Jo Bailes, CEO of Singita told LATTE at ILTM Cannes this week.
Bailes said a marine concession has been has been a dream of the Singita family for 15 years.
He said a marine conservation would complement Singita’s existing savannah and jungle assets, and hinted that a desert eco-tourism conservation project could be a future step.
“You can play in these different conservation spaces of different environments and different terrains, different climates and different ecology,” he said. “And there’s an opportunity for us to do that.”
“The golden rule for Singita is that we’ll never do something if it isn’t as good or better than our existing portfolio. Which means our growth is incredibly slow, but incredibly thoughtful.”
“We are a family brand and our culture is really about family values. We can see what’s going on in the world of hospitality and this growth is actually sometimes terrifying, and we don’t want to participate in that space. In Africa, we have a deep purpose to conserve and protect these incredible areas of wilderness and that is always the goal.
“There is room for us to grow and expand but it’s to have more impact. It’s not for the sake of growth. It is to do more.”
“We always try to position ourselves with large exclusive areas. Often when people come to Africa its one thing that people don’t quite get is this notion a large exclusive area. There’s so many places that people go that are not private and you end up with hundreds of other vehicles while you’re trying to do a safari.”
Singita’s vision for Santa Carolina begins with a 30-key (60 bed) lodge, which Bailes told LATTE is earmarked to open in three years time. Further details on the lodge, along with a second project in Mozambique, will come at a later date.
As foreshadowed previously by LATTE, Singita’s next project to open will be in the Okavango Delta, Singita Elela, will open on 11 December 2026.
