Viceroy Hotels Confirms Africa Expansion With Safari Lodges in Zambia and Botswana
Viceroy will debut its first safari lodges across Zambia and Botswana.
Photos: Courtesy of Viceroy
Viceroy Hotels is entering the safari sector with three lodges in Zambia and Botswana, marking the brand’s first properties in Africa and a defined enlargement of its footprint beyond urban and resort destinations. The company will add Thorntree River Lodge in Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, Lolebezi in Lower Zambezi National Park, and Atzaró Okavango Camp in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, each managed in partnership with African Bush Camps.
Thorntree River Lodge sits on the Zambezi River inside Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, a short drive from Victoria Falls. The lodge includes eight luxury suites and two family suites, all with private plunge pools and indoor-outdoor bathrooms. Activities focus on the park’s protected wildlife and nearby river corridors, with rhino tracking, canoeing, and sunrise and sunset cruises among the core offerings. A spa, riverside lounge, library, swimming pool, and small retail space round out the layout.
In Zambia’s Lower Zambezi region, Lolebezi occupies five hectares of preserved riverfront. Its inventory includes four luxury suites, one family suite, and an exclusive-use villa, each with a private plunge pool and air-conditioning. The lodge offers walking safaris, canoe trips, seasonal birding, and game drives in an area known for elephant, leopard, and other riverine wildlife. Amenities include a spa, swimming pool, yoga deck, open-air cinema, boma, and gift shop.
Atzaró Okavango Camp, positioned within the Okavango Delta’s UNESCO-designated system of floodplains and waterways, features eight luxury suites, one family suite, and one exclusive-use villa, all with plunge pools and air-conditioning. Guests can join walking safaris, mokoro excursions, and day-to-night game drives, with access to large mammal populations across the delta. The camp includes a wellness spa, swimming pool, yoga deck, elevated viewing platform, lounge, bar, dining areas, boma, and retail space.
African Bush Camps—founded by Zimbabwean guide Beks Ndlovu in 2006—will operate all three lodges. The group’s broader portfolio is known for conservation-aligned practices and community partnerships across Southern Africa. The lodges’ integration into Viceroy’s portfolio positions the brand alongside operators that maintain mixed geographic networks across city, resort, and safari destinations.
“Expanding into Africa is a defining milestone in Viceroy’s continued global growth,” said Arash Azarbarzin, CEO of Viceroy Hotels & Residences. “Like all Viceroy Hotels, each African lodge is a gateway that connects you to the essence of the destination, its people, landscape, and culture. We’re inviting travelers to discover Africa in way that truly moves them, where every moment offers depth, beauty, and a true sense of wonder.”
The three lodges are now fully integrated into the Viceroy portfolio, with operations and guest programming continuing under African Bush Camps. No further development phases have been announced.
