You may know Laurent Abitbol, the owner of hundreds of travel agencies, tour operators, tech players and inbound operators. Here he adds a new hat to his career.
He is now investing in physical assets, spanning land and accommodations.
And it is several thousand kilometers away from France that the Lyon-based head of Marietton Développement has set his sights.
Indeed, the Lyonnais leader has just finalized the acquisition of a private reserve of 5,000 hectares in South Africa, in KwaZulu, a former autonomous state integrated into South Africa in 1994.
This territory lies to the east of the southern country.
He is now investing in physical assets, spanning land and accommodations.
And it is several thousand kilometers away from France that the Lyon-based head of Marietton Développement has set his sights.
Indeed, the Lyonnais leader has just finalized the acquisition of a private reserve of 5,000 hectares in South Africa, in KwaZulu, a former autonomous state integrated into South Africa in 1994.
This territory lies to the east of the southern country.
Marietton Développement: What will the Big Five MVD Lodge offer?
According to the press release, it is “a lodge with a private reserve imagined to offer an exceptional immersion in the heart of South African nature.”
The site must offer a reconnection with the distinctive nature of this region of the world.
It will mainly allow visitors to encounter the famous Big Five, that group of animals that tourists dream of observing in South Africa, as on safaris across the continent.
Thus, lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes and rhinoceroses will be visible.
For travelers who can drop their bags: discovery safaris in 4×4 or escorted on-foot, aquatic experiences, encounters and exchanges with rangers, culinary, musical and botanical discoveries, as well as evenings in the heart of South African nature.
The reserve will welcome its visitors in 80 lodges that are to be built by then. They will offer four-star comfort, with private bathrooms for each lodging.
The opening is planned from November 2027.
The investment in hospitality is not really a first for the group. By acquiring Akilanga in February 2026, Marietton already owned a 40-room lodge, as Laurent Abitbol notes.
The site must offer a reconnection with the distinctive nature of this region of the world.
It will mainly allow visitors to encounter the famous Big Five, that group of animals that tourists dream of observing in South Africa, as on safaris across the continent.
Thus, lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes and rhinoceroses will be visible.
For travelers who can drop their bags: discovery safaris in 4×4 or escorted on-foot, aquatic experiences, encounters and exchanges with rangers, culinary, musical and botanical discoveries, as well as evenings in the heart of South African nature.
The reserve will welcome its visitors in 80 lodges that are to be built by then. They will offer four-star comfort, with private bathrooms for each lodging.
The opening is planned from November 2027.
The investment in hospitality is not really a first for the group. By acquiring Akilanga in February 2026, Marietton already owned a 40-room lodge, as Laurent Abitbol notes.
