Zambia Luxury Lodge Collection Launches, Uniting Four of the Country's Leading Luxury Safari Lodges Under One Owner-Led Brand

Lusaka, Zambia – Zambia is entering a defining new chapter in luxury safari travel with the launch of Zambia Luxury Lodge Collection (ZLLC), the new owner-led brand uniting four of the country's most celebrated safari destinations under a single vision. Bringing together Chichele Presidential, Puku Ridge, Lolebezi and Lolelunga Private Reserve, ZLLC creates one of Africa's most compelling luxury safari portfolios while showcasing the remarkable diversity of Zambia through a seamless owner-operated circuit.

Spanning South Luangwa National Park, Lower Zambezi National Park and the pioneering rewilding landscape of Lolelunga Private Reserve, ZLLC offers travel advisors and guests unprecedented access to Zambia's premier safari experiences through one comprehensive portfolio. At a time when discerning travelers are increasingly seeking conservation-led, purpose-driven travel, the launch positions Zambia at the forefront of Africa's evolving luxury safari landscape.

ZLLC is not a representation company. It is the ownership brand for the four properties, being responsible for their collective vision, long-term strategy, brand direction, and continued development. Read the full press release here.

The launch represents the natural evolution of ZLLC’s ownership. Lolebezi has flourished under the management of African Bush Camps, while Chichele Presidential and Puku Ridge have benefited from the expertise and stewardship of trusted partners since opening. Throughout this period, ownership has remained closely involved in shaping each property's long-term vision, conservation strategy and guest experience.

From 2027 ZLLC will now oversee the sales, marketing and day-to-day management of the Collection directly, creating a unified owner-led brand while continuing to work closely with African Bush Camps and previous management partners, each of whom will retain the lodges within their sales portfolios in new collaborative capacities.

This collaborative model provides travel advisors with greater flexibility, allowing them to continue booking through their established relationships or directly through ZLLC, while preserving the strong partnerships that have helped elevate these properties onto the global luxury travel stage.

This transition marks a defining milestone for Zambia Luxury Lodge Collection as we bring Chichele Presidential, Puku Ridge, Lolebezi and Lolelunga Private Reserve together under one unified commercial and operational vision. From August 2026 for 2027 onwards, we will offer the international travel trade direct access to one of Zambia’s most compelling luxury safari circuits, supported by centralized contracting, reservations, sales and marketing. We greatly value the foundations established with partners, and look forward to continuing these relationships as valued, non-exclusive distribution partners as ZLLC leads the portfolio into its next chapter.

Jennifer Beattie, Director of Sales & Marketing for ZLLC

The launch of Zambia Luxury Lodge Collection (ZLLC) represents not a departure, but a continuation of excellence across some of the country’s leading safari experiences. Building on years of successful collaboration while consolidating operations under direct ownership will allow Zambia Luxury Lodge Collection (ZLLC) to deliver an even more cohesive guest journey, strengthen its conservation mission and present a unified identity for one of Africa’s most distinctive luxury safari portfolios.

As Zambia Luxury Lodge Collection assumes direct day-to-day management of its lodges from 1 January 2027, our priority will be to build upon the strong foundations already established while introducing one consistent standard of operational excellence across the portfolio. This transition will allow us to align every aspect of the guest journey with the ZLLC vision, from service delivery and lodge operations to the finer details that define an exceptional safari experience. By bringing our properties together under one unified operational structure in 2027, we will strengthen quality, accountability and consistency while ensuring that each lodge retains its individual character and distinct sense of place.

Jopie van Rooyen, Group Operations and Quality Control Manager for Zambia Luxury Lodge Collection

From the wildlife-rich plains of South Luangwa and the river landscapes of the Lower Zambezi to the pioneering conservation work taking place at Lolelunga Private Reserve, Zambia Luxury Lodge Collection (ZLLC) offers guests the opportunity to experience Zambia’s extraordinary diversity through a single, seamlessly connected circuit.

Coinciding with the collection’s official launch, Zambia Luxury Lodge Collection (ZLLC) has expanded its international presence by appointing dedicated sales representation in both the United States and the United Kingdom. These strategic appointments will support the owner brand by strengthening relationships with the travel trade and media while responding to the growing demand for high-end safari experiences in Zambia.

The appointments underscore the long-term commitment of Zambia Luxury Lodge Collection (ZLLC) to its key source markets and provide travel advisors and partners with direct access to dedicated regional support, product knowledge and sales assistance.

A COLLECTION DEFINED BY PLACE

Perched high above the South Luangwa Valley, Chichele Presidential commands one of the most breathtaking viewpoints in an African safari. Originally built as a private retreat for Zambia’s first president, the lodge has been sensitively reimagined into an elegant sanctuary where heritage meets contemporary restraint. Sweeping 360-degree views, an infinity pool, spa facilities, and tailored experiences like private game drives and walking safaris deliver a rare blend of scale and solitude amid one of the continent’s most wildlife-dense ecosystems.

Nearby, Puku Ridge rests quietly on an elevated ridge above the Kakumbi Plain. Its eight refined tented suites offer front-row seats to the bush’s daily rhythms, with private plunge pools and expansive decks. Exceptional guiding defines the experience, from hidden photographic vantage points to star-bed sleep-outs beneath the vast African sky, all balanced with a polished yet grounded aesthetic.

Along the banks of the Zambezi River in Lower Zambezi National Park, Lolebezi brings contemporary elegance to raw wilderness. River-facing suites with private plunge pools overlook a landscape where elephants drift past at dusk and hippos surface at dawn. Days unfold across land and water, offering game drives, walking safaris, and canoe excursions before evenings of refined cuisine lit by soft lanterns beside the river.

The collection's newest and most ambitious conservation story is Lolelunga Private Reserve, a 30,000-hectare wilderness north of Kafue National Park that is redefining what a modern safari can achieve. Once stripped of its wildlife by poaching, deforestation, and human activity, the reserve has been painstakingly restored through habitat rehabilitation, anti-poaching initiatives, and one of Africa's most progressive rewilding programs.

In 2026, Lolelunga reached another landmark milestone with the reintroduction of lions to the ecosystem for the first time in more than 15 years. In partnership with Zambia's Department of National Parks and Wildlife and Ministry of Tourism, the reserve launched the country's first-ever initiative to rewild captive-bred lions, translocating a male and female from Mukuni Big Five and guiding them through an intensive rehabilitation process designed to rebuild natural hunting instincts before their release into the wild. The project restores a critical apex predator to the Lunga ecosystem while offering a potential blueprint for future conservation efforts across the region.

The lion initiative builds on Lolelunga's already impressive conservation successes. Working alongside the Cheetah Metapopulation Initiative, the reserve successfully reintroduced endangered cheetahs and celebrated the birth of three healthy cubs, the first ever born on Zambia's only fully fenced private reserve. Looking ahead, black rhinos are scheduled for introduction in the next phase of restoration, further advancing the reserve's mission to rebuild a fully functioning ecosystem and return one of Africa's most threatened species to the landscape.

A NEW OUTLOOK ON SAFARI FROM ZAMBIA LUXURY LODGE COLLECTION

Across the collection, the emphasis remains on intimacy and connection. Wildlife encounters feel close and varied: leopards draped in South Luangwa’s trees (one of Africa’s premier leopard regions), vast herds of elephant and buffalo, the striking endemic Thornicroft’s giraffe, carmine bee-eaters erupting in a blaze of scarlet and turquoise from riverbank burrows, and nocturnal species revealed on night drives. Guests observe from photographic hides, canoes, private decks, or even during spa treatments, without the crowds that define many safari circuits.

The human element at Zambia Luxury Lodge Collection is equally vital. Zambian culture threads through every detail, from locally inspired cuisine and design to the warmth and expertise of local teams and genuine community engagement. Sustainability is foundational: eco-conscious architecture, responsible practices, and a promise that these landscapes will endure for generations.

With four distinctive lodges, an ambitious conservation mission, strengthened international representation in the United States and United Kingdom, and an owner-led vision for the future, Zambia Luxury Lodge Collection arrives at a pivotal moment for both Zambia and African luxury travel. Together, the ZLLC’s properties demonstrate how exceptional hospitality, conservation and authentic place can create one of the continent's most compelling safari journeys.

For more information on the Zambia Luxury Lodge Collection, visit zambialuxurylodges.com.