What's New on the KZN North Coast: What's Opened, What's Closed and What's Coming

A resort opened on the KZN North Coast in 2026, a golf estate opened its doors to the public, and the shops and restaurants kept coming. This is what we could confirm, with a date or a source for each. It is not a complete list, so tell us what we have missed.

Opened in 2026

Places to stay and play

• Club Med South Africa Beach and Safari, Tinley Manor. The resort welcomed its first guests on 4 July 2026, with more than 400 rooms and Club Med's first surf school. It is for staying guests only, with no day passes. Its beach was awarded Blue Flag status for 2026/27.
• The Zimbali Lakes clubhouse. Opened on 21 April 2026 to residents and the public, with a gym, a 25-metre pool and a golf shop beside the Ernie Els Signature Course.
• Zimbali Country Club, open to visitors again. After five years as a residents-only course, the Tom Weiskopf layout reopened to non-members at the start of 2026. Our Zimbali guide has the green fees.
• The Lot Skatepark, Ballito Junction. A skatepark with a mobile ramp system, opened in April 2026.
• The Nest Playhouse, Zimbali Oasis. A family play cafe, open from Tuesday to Sunday.

Places to eat

• Big Easy Winebar and Grill, Zimbali Lakes. Ernie Els's restaurant at the new clubhouse, open to the public since 10 May 2026.
• Eleven Tribes, Zimbali Lodge. Modern South African food on a set menu. The lodge's restaurant was relaunched over December 2025 and January 2026, and it is open to the public.
• Kung Thai, Salt Rock. The Durban North Thai restaurant opened a branch at the New Salt Rock Shopping Centre early in the year.
• Bellevue Cafe, Ballito Lifestyle Centre. The Kloof favourite, in the space that used to be Toast.
• Ocean Basket, Tiffany's Shopping Centre. Opened in Salt Rock on 7 July 2026.
• Burgerack, Ballito Junction. Halaal gourmet burgers, opened in June 2026.

For the full list of where to eat, see the best restaurants on the KZN North Coast.

Shops

• Country Road, Ballito Junction. The brand's first Ballito store opened on 31 March 2026, next to the Level 4 Woolworths entrance.
• Lifestyle SuperSpar. The Lifestyle Centre's anchor has been rebuilt in stages, with a new bakery, butchery and wine section, and the rest due by the end of October 2026.
• Adele Catherine, Sage Centre. A lifestyle store in Salt Rock, open by March 2026.

Gone

• Weylandts has closed its Ballito store and moved to a new flagship at Sibaya.

Being built

• Seaton House, January 2027. A new independent school north of Salt Rock, with building under way since January 2026. School places on this coast are tight, which is why it matters. See our schools guide.
• The N2 Sheffield interchange. A new on-ramp and off-ramp for Sheffield Beach, facing south towards Ballito and Durban, under construction since April 2025. It should take traffic off the Salt Rock Road junction, which backs up at peak hours. It was expected to open in mid 2026. We could not confirm that it has.
• A private hospital at Tinley Manor. A 108-bed hospital on the old Trinityhouse school site. The North Coast Courier reported in October 2026 that the first sod had been turned and that building should start before the end of the year. Ballito's existing hospital stopped delivering babies in 2023, so a second hospital matters to families.

Announced, not started

• Tonino Lamborghini Suites and Residences, Zimbali Lakes. Announced in June 2026. Construction is expected to start in 2027.
• A shopping centre for Sheffield. About 20,000 square metres, next to Seaton House, pencilled in for early 2029.
• A third lane on the N2 from Ballito to Tinley Manor. SANRAL plans it, with upgraded interchanges. No start date has been published.

Why it matters

Every item on this list is a response to the same thing: people keep moving here. If you are one of them, read moving to Ballito and the KZN North Coast.

We update this page every month. Opened something, or spotted something new? Tell us through our contact page.