Rare Earth Retreats

What Rare Earth Retreats does

Rare Earth Retreats PTY LTD is a privately held, family-owned South African boutique hospitality group founded in 2013, headquartered in Blairgowrie, Gauteng (Johannesburg), operating a curated portfolio of six properties across three structurally distinct destinations: The Outpost and Pel's Post in the northern Kruger National Park; Tshwene Lodge and Ekuthuleni Lodge in the Welgevonden Game Reserve; and The Old Rectory Hotel & Spa and Country House in Plettenberg Bay on the Garden Route, with Kay & Monty Vineyards operating as a sub-brand wine estate within the same destination. The company holds no proprietary technology platform — its bookings flow through a website booking page, email, phone, WhatsApp, and a dedicated trade partner channel — and revenue derives from per-night accommodation pricing in ZAR (typically R3,480–R19,630+ per person per night, plus conservation levies, park entry fees, and landing fees) with 50% deposits on confirmation and exclusive-use options for Pel's Post and Country House.

The group operates through five wholly owned subsidiary entities (Dream Supreme Properties 80 PTY LTD for The Old Rectory; Springlights 1236 CC for Kay & Monty and Country House; The Outpost Lodge PTY LTD; Tshwene Lodge PTY LTD; Ekuthuleni Lodge PTY LTD) under CEO Lauren Davies, and has accumulated an unusually strong set of independent accolades for its scale — Condé Nast Traveller Readers' Choice Top 10 (2023), Condé Nast Traveler 2025 (two properties featured, The Old Rectory Top 15 in Southern & Eastern Africa), TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice 2026, and a TGCSA 5-star grading. Go-to-market mixes direct-to-consumer booking, a sales-led corporate retreats motion, and a trade partner program for travel agents and tour operators, supported by paid acquisition across Google, Facebook, and LinkedIn. The portfolio is small (roughly 30–50 keys in aggregate), with 14 corporate employees and property-level field staff.

Name

Rare Earth Retreats

Legal name

Rare Earth Retreats PTY LTD

Website

https://rareearth.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Boutique Safari Lodges and Heritage Hotels

NAICS

All Other Traveler Accommodation (721199), Tour Operators (561520)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Safari & Wilderness Luxury Resorts (THAGACAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Private Adventure & Expedition Experiences (Custom Hikes, Safaris, Backcountry) (THAJALAG)

Keywords

• Boutique safari lodges
• Luxury accommodation
• Heritage hotel spa
• Game reserve lodges
• Wine estate hospitality

Headquarters

HQ city

Johannesburg

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Accommodation and Lodge Services: Primary revenue from guest accommodation at boutique safari lodges and hotels. Pricing varies by property, season, room type, and occupancy (sharing vs single). Includes game drives, conservation levies, park fees, and landing fees where applicable.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Rare Earth Retreats is a family-owned boutique hospitality group that operates a portfolio of six luxury safari lodges, country houses, and a heritage hotel across three South African destinations (Kruger National Park, Welgevonden Game Reserve, and Plettenberg Bay), plus Kay & Monty Vineyards wine estate. The company sells accommodation, dining, guided game drives, wildlife experiences, event hosting, and curated stay packages priced per person per night.

Product overview

Rare Earth Retreats is a portfolio of boutique hospitality properties in South Africa consisting of six distinct properties: three safari lodges (The Outpost and Pel's Post in the northern Kruger National Park; Tshwene Lodge and Ekuthuleni Lodge in Welgevonden Game Reserve) and three coastal/wine country properties (The Old Rectory Hotel & Spa, Country House, and Kay & Monty Vineyards in Plettenberg Bay). The company operates as individual property offerings rather than a unified platform with modules. Each property offers accommodation, dining, and experiences tailored to its location, with no central booking platform or interconnected service modules.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kay and Monty Vineyards: A boutique wine estate located in Plettenberg Bay, part of the Plett Wine Route, offering wine tasting and wedding venues.

Products and services

• The Outpost A luxury safari lodge in the Makuleke Contractual Park in the northern Kruger National Park, featuring contemporary design with spacious suites offering panoramic views of the Luvuvhu River valley. Offers accommodation, dining, and game drives for safari travelers.
• Pel's Post An intimate, award-winning eco-luxe safari property in the northern Kruger National Park with four exclusive suites, ideal for private group safari experiences.
• Tshwene Lodge A romantic treetop hideaway in Welgevonden Game Reserve offering luxury suites with views of the surrounding wilderness and a spa facility.
• Ekuthuleni Lodge A family-friendly safari lodge in Welgevonden Game Reserve featuring suites and family suites, game drives, and conservation-focused experiences.
• The Old Rectory Hotel & Spa An award-winning heritage hotel and spa in Plettenberg Bay with 5-star TGCSA grading, housed in the oldest surviving building in Plett, dating to 1777. Recognized among top hotels in Southern & Eastern Africa.
• Country House A boutique country house in Plettenberg Bay offering exclusive-use accommodation with access to the Plett Winelands and Garden Route attractions.
• Kay & Monty Vineyards A family-owned wine farm and wedding venue on the Plett Wine Route, offering wine tastings, MCC champagnes, and event spaces.

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• African Travel and Tourism Association (ATTA)minorOthersIndustry association membership displayed in footer, indicating affiliation with African travel and tourism industry
• South African Tourism Safety Association (SATSA)minorOthersIndustry association membership displayed in footer, indicating alignment with South African tourism safety standards

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Plettenberg (The Royal Portfolio): Luxury boutique hotel in Plettenberg Bay by The Royal Portfolio. Competes with The Old Rectory for premium coastal stays and has a comparable small-luxury-with-strong-personal-hospitality positioning.
• &Beyond: Luxury safari lodge and experiential travel operator with a portfolio of high-end safari properties across southern Africa. Directly comparable to Rare Earth on product category (luxury safari), target customer (affluent international travelers), and curated multi-property portfolio model.
• Sabi Sabi: Luxury safari lodge collection in Sabi Sand Game Reserve. Comparable on multi-property safari model, premium international clientele, and decades-long brand recognition in the luxury safari segment.
• The Bay Hotel (Plettenberg Bay): Upscale Plettenberg Bay hotel directly competing with The Old Rectory and Country House for garden-route leisure travelers. Comparable on coastal luxury lodging, Plettenberg Bay location, and seasonal international guest mix.
• Bushcamp Company (Mfuwe): Boutique safari operator with multiple small luxury camps in Zambia. Comparable on small-portfolio, owner-operated boutique safari model with high-touch hospitality.
• Wilderness Safaris: Luxury safari operator with multiple high-end lodges in Kruger and other South African reserves. Closely comparable product (luxury safari), customer base, and award profile, though at materially larger scale.
• Singita: Ultra-luxury safari lodge and conservation brand operating premier properties in Kruger-adjacent and other South African reserves. Comparable on eco-luxe positioning, premium ADR, and award-driven international brand recognition.
• Lion Sands Game Reserve: Family-owned luxury safari lodge group within Sabi Sand and Kruger-adjacent regions. Comparable on family-owned boutique model, premium positioning, and direct booking/trade channel mix.

Broad incumbents

• Constance Hotels & Resorts: Luxury hotel and resort group with safari and island properties across Africa and the Indian Ocean. Comparable on luxury hospitality, premium safari/remote-resort offerings, and reliance on international award and trade channels.
• Belmond (LVMH): Global luxury hospitality group with safari and remote-lodge properties. Comparable on luxury hospitality, premium experiential positioning, and brand-led marketing, but operates at meaningfully larger scale and broader geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/RareEarthRetreatsSA
• Instagraminstagram.com/rareearthretreats
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rare-earth-retreats

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rare Earth Retreats