Since chartering the first direct flights from Johannesburg to Zanzibar in 2013, entrepreneurs Marian and Dianne Sandu of AfricaStay have successfully explored and developed this niche and made Zanzibar a popular option for South Africans.
AfricaStay’s latest offering, the deluxe, all-inclusive new five-star Emerald Zanzibar Resort and Spa, is bound to impress discerning travellers from South Africa.
To mark the opening in December, the resort hosted an official white-tie dinner on the beach, under the stars on a warm African summer’s night. Invited guests from across the world – South Africa, Dubai, Italy, Canada and France – enjoyed some of the best hospitality the island has to offer.
Sandu said Zanzibar had always been very close to the company’s heart, as AfricaStay initially started running charter flights with SAA’s budget airline, Mango in 2013, but after the airline went into business rescue, it was only in December 2021 that direct flights were reinstated with FlySafair. AfricaStay now runs three charter flights a week between Johannesburg and Zanzibar’s new Abeid Amane Karume International Airport.
“We decided to invest more than R100 million in the new flights and we have now just seen 16 300 clients visit Zanzibar. It’s a very popular destination for the South African market. We saw a gap in the market and took it as it offers clients better value for money than other destinations.”
He pointed out that an all-inclusive seven-night stay at the Emerald Zanzibar Resort and Spa offered excellent value for money compared with five-star hotels in other top destinations such as Mauritius.
“Zanzibar offers a combination of culture, amazing beaches and wonderful friendly people, plus the value for money of the all-inclusive package.”
The 250-bed Emerald Resort and Spa is ideally located directly along the picturesque Muyuni Beach in Matemwe, facing Mnemba Island. It’s near a group of small islands where boats ferry tourists to snorkel and swim with dolphins in the translucent Indian Ocean.
Deck chairs line the pristine beach where waitrons serve refreshing ice-cold soft drinks and Piña Coladas to guests before they make their way back to superbly cool air-conditioned rooms to freshen up for dinner.
Dining options include several restaurants, including Aqua, Beach Club Grill, Carnivorous and Le Asiatique, so there is a wide selection of delicious dining – steaks, giant prawns, Asian foods like stir-fries and curries, Italian pastas and traditional British-styled roasts, hot pots and stews. Drinks and snacks are available throughout the day and evening at the pool, garden and beach bars, while the gelato ice-cream shops provide icy snacks until 11pm.
A member of the Leading Hotels of the World group, Emerald, an Italian, family-owned business, has positioned the island as an attractive destination for both South African and European travellers – Zanzibar is just a short seven-hour flight from Paris.
Leading Hotels of the World Director of Rooms, Simone Gargiulo, told guests and journalists at the opening of the resort, which has a distinct touch of European meets African flair in its hospitality, that the group had infused its international experience in the Maldives into the new development.
“We have some luxury resorts there (in Maldives). The latest one opened in October and operates as a ‘cruise’ experience where guests know up front what they will be spending on food and beverages and do not have any surprises on the bill,” said Gargiulo.
She declined to disclose the value of the investment in Zanzibar but was quick to add that land adjacent to the resort had already been purchased for possible future expansion. It is the seventh hotel the group has developed in Zanzibar, where it has operated resorts for the past 30 years.
A seven-night all-inclusive stay at this exclusive resort starts from R26 000pps, booked through AfricaStay. This includes all meals and drinks plus accommodation at Emerald, including charter flights, airport transfers and a free tour of the historic Stone Town (the former home of the famed Freddy Mercury).
AfricaStay also has a range of packages for seven-night stays at three-star Zanzibar resorts starting from R12 000pps, including flights, transfers, accommodation, breakfast and dinner.
