Sun International Breaks Ground On New Sun Vacation Club Development At Sun City
Sun International Breaks Ground On New Sun Vacation Club Development At Sun City. Construction has begun on the first phase of an exciting new expansion of Sun International’s Sun Vacation Club (SVC) at the iconic Sun City – the first development at the resort in 18 years. Dubbed Lefika Villas, the R259-million expansion includes 48 three-bedroom villas, 10 four-bedroom villas, and a recreational area with a resort pool, family restaurant and kid’s play area.
“We are experiencing significant demand for Sun Vacation Club accommodation at Sun City and this expansion will help satisfy this demand. We are confident that this development will achieve above market returns.”– Sun International CE Anthony Leeming. The development represents Sun International’s first significant expansion at Sun City since 2004 when it developed The Aviary, the second accommodation offering introduced at the Sun Vacation Club. The addition of the Lefika Villas will increase the Sun Vacation Club at Sun City to 478 units.
Leeming said, “Sun City remains perennially popular and post Covid we have seen an increase in demand from leisure, conference and sporting guests. We have invested significantly in the property and the Resort is in great condition. Our local and international visitors enjoy the varied Hotel experiences at The Palace of The Lost City, The Cascades, The Sun City Hotel and The Cabanas. We are also seeing great demand for self-catering units at the Sun Vacation Club. Our Sun Vacation Club offering is flexible and affordable which allows members to take longer breaks and is ideally suited to families. Sun City’s relatively close proximity to Gauteng also makes it an easily accessible destination.”
As part of the development, there will be significant inclusion of surrounding communities in upliftment and skills transfer projects, with a stipulated 30% build value to be allocated to local contractors. This strong emphasis on sharing knowledge and skills will assist community contractors who may not have the requisite experience to gain skills and experience as part of their project contribution. This will stand them in good stead to take on projects in the future.
“We are always mindful that many of our doorstop communities are dependent on Sun City for employment and for the enterprise development opportunities we provide for them.– Sun City Resort General Manager Brett Hoppé. Lefika Villas will enable us to have an even greater impact on the region through jobs that are created during the construction phase and operationally when the Villas open at the end of 2023.” Leeming said that other equally exciting upgrades are underway and are being planned for Sun City. The most immediate of these is a complete R208-million refresh of The Palace of The Lost City, including a spa and gym, and will be completed in November when the Hotel celebrates its 30th birthday.
The exclusive Salon Privé in the famous Sun City Hotel has also been given a complete makeover and is arguably the best Privé in the country. Sun International has also begun its expansion of the GrandWest Hotel in Cape Town to increase the capacity to 103 rooms. “The current 39-room hotel runs at a 99% occupancy so this is a long overdue project,” said Leeming.
