New Luxury Safari Lodges Opening in Africa in 2026

There’s a specific kind of optimism that comes with hearing about new luxury safari lodges in 2026. It’s the same feeling I get when my guide turns down a road with no tyre tracks: that little spark of "ooh, something good is coming". New openings have that same energy. It's the promise of possibility, wrapped in canvas or stone, preferably with an outdoor shower and a view you accidentally zone out in for an hour.

So… About the Lodges I’m Already Obsessed With

As someone who spends a suspicious amount of time scrolling through lodge plans and mumbling things like “look at that split-level layout,” I’ve been keeping a very close eye on what’s arriving in 2026. And let me tell you: Africa is bringing its A-game.

Below are the standout openings I’m already secretly planning itineraries around – places rooted in conservation, designed with intention rather than excess, and built for travellers who want their journeys to feel meaningful, beautiful, and quietly thrilling.

Sediba Sa Rona – Opening March 2026 (Botswana)

You know that first breath you take when you arrive in the bush – the warm air, the faint herbaceous note of something mysterious underfoot, the sense that you’ve stepped into a story that was unfolding long before you? Sediba Sa Rona was created for that moment.

Set in the Khwai Concession, where some of Botswana’s most iconic ecosystems meet and mingle, this lodge doesn’t just offer views – it offers front-row immersion. The Khwai River flows right past the luxury tents, drawing wildlife in with the same consistency as a perfectly timed sundowner. 

Here’s What I Love Already

• Tented suites with outdoor decks facing the river (yes, wildlife-viewing in your pyjamas is absolutely on the cards)
• A swimming pool, bar, and fire deck, all positioned to make the most of the river’s ongoing wildlife procession
• Communal dining that leans into connection – stories shared, sightings compared, and that lovely unfiltered feeling of being part of something
• A guiding philosophy rooted in care: gentle, patient, and tuned into the finer details of the landscape

Sediba Sa Rona isn’t merely a new addition to Botswana’s safari scene. It’s a lodge built with intention: a place where meaningful luxuries meet sustainable thinking, where community is part of the design, and where the view from your deck might just (happily) steal an afternoon from you.

Singita Elela – Opening 2026 (Botswana)

Singita Elela feels like the kind of place you hear about through a friend of a friend who whispers, “Don’t tell too many people.” Tucked deep within the Okavango Delta’s marbled weave of waterways, grasslands, and scattered islands, Elela is spoken about softly, as if saying the name too boldly might tempt it to slip away with the next floodwaters.

Its name means “to flow” in Setswana, and everything about the lodge follows that principle: movement, renewal, and an unhurried connection to the land.

Why I’m Excited

• Intimate, beautifully considered camps in different configurations – perfect for couples, families, or larger groups 
• Private outdoor heated plunge pools and generous decks that pull the Delta right up to your doorstep
• A seasonal safari menu: mokoros when the channels swell, boating when the water widens, bush walks and game drives when the earth firms beneath your feet
• A deep focus on restoration – for guests, yes, but also for the land, through conservation spaces, community partnerships, and Singita’s long-standing ethos of guardianship

If you’re after a safari that's grounded and unforced, Elela is shaping up to be one of the most interesting additions to the new luxury safari lodges 2026 line-up.

Shisaka Camp – Opening June 2026 (South Africa)

Shisaka Camp reads like the start of a very satisfying comeback arc. And the kind where a former hunting property lands in Sabi Sabi’s conservation brain trust and instantly begins rewriting its future. Wildlife is returning, water sources are recovering, and the Tracker Training Academy is helping the Sandringham Private Game Reserve come alive again.

The suites and villas finally give you space to stretch out, each with its own pool and long views over the bush and river systems. But the real scene-stealer is The Nest: a private rooftop sleepout above every suite, the sort of spot that turns stargazing into a competitive sport. It's you versus the galaxy versus how long your bubbly stays cold.

What to Expect

• Spacious suites and villas with private pools and broad bush-and-river panoramas
• Rooftop sleepouts (“The Nest”) built for stargazing, Champagne logic, and borderline philosophical 2 a.m. thoughts
• A central lounge that naturally becomes the social hub after game drives: relaxed, warm, unforced
• Access to a reserve in active restoration, guided by exceptional trackers trained on-site

Shisaka is the camp for people who like their safaris full of warmth and ease. It's somewhere to explore, unwind, and feel like you’ve stumbled into the soft launch of something extraordinary.

N’weti Camp – Opening June 2026 (South Africa)

N’weti Camp brings a different energy entirely. One that's quieter, more grown-up, and beautifully attuned to its surroundings. With its adults-only approach and semi-permanent architecture (solid walls, canvas-style roofs), the camp balances refinement with that soft safari romance that comes from hearing the bush breathe around you.

The suites have that semi-permanent architecture I love: solid enough to feel grounded, canvas enough to remember where you are. Each has its own pool (bless them), plus interiors that lean into a clean, contemporary aesthetic without drifting into cold minimalism. This is the kind of camp where you’ll start narrating your own mornings like a BBC nature documentary.

What Sets N’weti Apart

• It's adults-only, so no small humans, no shrieking cannonballs, just you and whichever wildlife decides to stroll past
• Private pools with a front-row seat to the Drakensberg’s colour changes
• Communal spaces built for slow living, with soft lighting, long conversations, and that delicious sense of “we don’t actually need to be anywhere”
• Direct access to a reserve being brought back to life through serious conservation work and expert tracking

If you’re seeking privacy, Sandringham also has a private four-bedroom house with its own chef and safari team, which is giving 'main character energy' in the best kind of way. N’weti is shaping up to be one of the loveliest additions when it comes to new luxury safari lodges in 2026.

Laba Ngorongoro – Opening February 2026 (Tanzania)

Laba Ngorongoro has my attention for reasons that go well beyond “crater views” and “altitude air that makes your tea taste better". What makes this lodge interesting is its story. It’s built on the old Rhino Lodge site, the very first lodge in the crater region, and just a few steps from the rim itself. You’re closer to the park gate than anyone else, which means you can slip into the crater at dawn without feeling like you’re joining a commuter rush.

There’s also a wonderful tribute woven into the property: the original curator’s house has been preserved, which was once home to Henry Albert Fosbrooke, the region's first ecologist and the driving force behind the Ngorongoro Conservation Area becoming a UNESCO site.

What’s Drawing Me in

• It sits on one of the crater’s most historic sites, with the original curator’s house restored into the heart of the lodge
• The closest lodge to the park entrance, making it ideal for unhurried early game drives
• Suites feel like high-altitude hideaways, each with forest views and regular wildlife drop-ins
• You’re surrounded by the Oldeani and Makarot mountains, giving the landscape a layered, cinematic depth

In the end, it’s the suites that tip the scales. Warm little hideaways with big views and the occasional buffalo cameo. The kind of place that makes you think, “Yes, I’ll explore the crater… but maybe after one more cup of rooibos tea.”

Kafue River Tented Camp – Opening April 2026 (Zambia)

Anantara’s new Kafue River Tented Camp has one of those locations that makes you double-take at a map: it sits between two islands in the middle of Kafue National Park, suspended in that dreamy space where river, forest and sky all negotiate for your attention. 

Kafue has always been one of Zambia’s best-kept secrets. It's wild, generous, and far less visited than it deserves. And this camp leans into that energy beautifully. Mornings start with yoga as the birds begin their day; afternoons drift into slow river cruises; evenings settle around a boma where the fire does most of the talking.

Expect:

• Pool villas so spacious they feel like small, elegant islands of their own, all tucked under a canopy, open to the river breeze, and accessible by boat
• Suites elevated in the trees, looking out into a private aviary of leaves, light, and constant feathered traffic
• A spa and wellness space designed for travellers who understand that being in the wild doesn’t mean neglecting your shoulders
• Private game drives in luxury 4x4s, plus the rare pleasure of helicopter access for those who enjoy a bit of dramatic arrival energy

If you’re looking at the new luxury safari lodges 2026 and thinking, “Where can I escape the crowds and actually exhale?”, this one should be high on your list. A little wild, a little serene, and entirely itself.

Bupenyu Lodge – Opening March 2026 (Zimbabwe)

Sitting right on the edge of the Batoka Gorge, above Rapid No. 22, Bupenyu Lodge looks out over the Zambezi with the kind of confidence that comes from knowing Victoria Falls is just upstream doing its thunderous thing. It’s part retreat, part vantage point, part gasp-inducing “oh wow” moment.

The lodge leans into its setting rather than competing with it. Suites are shaped around the landscape’s sharp lines and ancient basalt formations, giving you endless views of the gorge, the sort that make you pause mid-sentence because the river is doing something interesting again. 

What Stands Out at Bupenyu

• Suites positioned right along the gorge edge, with terraces perfectly angled toward the Zambezi
• An emphasis on intentional comfort, with warm, uncluttered interiors that leave room for the landscape to speak
• Dining that moves with your mood: a restaurant framed by the cliffs, a cosy boma, private meals in your suite, or (my favourite) a picnic at the bird hide
• Proximity to both wild tranquillity and high-adrenaline pursuits, from gorge walks to rafting, zip lining and everything Victoria Falls dares you to try

But the true luxury here is the setting itself: raw cliffs, shifting light, water carving its way through ancient stone. And Bupenyu sits in the middle of it all, unhurried and self-assured, a place where you can sink into stillness or chase adventure, depending on what the day asks of you.

So, When Should You Book? 

Soft openings for new lodges come with their own kind of charm – a slight sense of anticipation in the air, a team eager to show the world what they’ve built, and the joy of being among the first names in a fresh guest book. But they also come with very limited early availability.

If any of these new luxury safari lodges 2026 are tugging at your heartstrings (or if you’re already picturing yourself on a deck chair with a pair of binoculars and a satisfied grin), it’s worth planning ahead. Some of these properties will book out months before the paint has even dried.

Rhino Africa’s Travel Experts have direct lines to these openings and can secure early space, offer guidance around best seasons, and help match you to the lodge that truly fits your style.

Before You Go…

Remember that spark from the beginning, that moment when your guide turns down a road with no tyre tracks, and you instinctively sit up a little straighter? That’s what these new lodges promise. A chance to be among the first to experience something special, untrampled, and full of possibility.

Let’s go find your new favourite place in Africa.

Featured Image: Bupenyu Lodge