Minor Hotels has announced the upcoming debut of its luxury Anantara brand in the African wilderness.

Slated to launch in early 2025, Anantara Kafue River Tented Camp will be located in the Kafue National Park, the oldest and largest of Zambia’s national parks. The new camp will be a three-hour drive from Victoria Falls or the capital Lusaka. There will be an airstrip and guests will be able to fly in by helicopter from Lusaka or Livingstone.

Currently in the early stages of development, the camp will be located on the banks of the Kafue River – suspended 3.5m above the ground, ensuring unrestricted access to the bush and river for the wild inhabitants.

The camp’s 12 spacious tents will include a 600sqm Presidential Villa offering complete exclusivity, and the two adjacent islands will accommodate a spa and wellness area with a swimming pool, a restaurant and bar, a lounge and a traditional African boma.

Each luxury tent has its own plunge pool and use of a boat and skipper. Activities will include canoeing, fishing, birdwatching, boat safaris, and encounters with wildlife.

Anantara Kafue River Tented Camp is managed by Minor Hotels and owned in partnership with Agro Safari, a division of a Zambian company with a legacy spanning generations. The partnership with Minor Hotels is committed to crafting the ultimate safari experience and bringing to life a vision shared by both entities, blending Agro Safari’s extensive land holdings with Minor Hotels’ expertise, underscored by the Royal Livingstone Victoria Falls Zambia Hotel by Anantara.

Community-driven

Anantara Kafue River will also be community driven, from engaging local businesses in the supply chain to employing mostly Zambian staff.

Dillip Rajakarier, CEO of Minor Hotels and Group CEO of parent company Minor International, said: “We are really excited to announce this partnership with Agro Safari to develop and launch an exclusive tented camp in Zambia under our luxury Anantara flag. This represents a unique opportunity to offer unparalleled experiences to discerning travellers looking to explore outside the more well-known African parks and we look forward to working closely with our partners to bring this camp to fruition.”

Anantara already has a strong presence in southern Africa with The Royal Livingstone Victoria Falls Hotel by Anantara in Zambia and two small island resorts in Mozambique – Anantara Bazaruto Island Resort and Anantara Medjumbe Island Resort.

Minor Hotels is an international hotel owner, operator and investor with more than 540 hotels in 56 countries in Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, the Indian Ocean, Europe and the Americas.