The Warmbaths resort sale has officially been given the green light, with South Africa’s Competition Commission approving the acquisition of Forever Resorts by Benus Trade and Invest. The deal hands over one of the country’s best-loved leisure brands, including the iconic Warmbaths property in Limpopo, to its new owner without any conditions attached.
What the Warmbaths Resort Sale Includes
Forever Resorts South Africa owns a portfolio of resorts, lodges, and getaway destinations across the country, and Warmbaths is by far its most recognisable asset. Located in Bela Bela, just north of Gauteng, the resort has built its reputation on natural hot springs capable of producing up to 22,000 litres of water per hour at a scorching 53 degrees Celsius.
Guests can choose between chalets, lodges, and hotel rooms, with two-bedroom chalets ranging from around R1,660 in the low season up to R3,470 during peak periods. Hotel rooms follow a similar seasonal pricing pattern, and day visitors are welcome on selected dates throughout the year.
Beyond the springs themselves, the resort offers a hydro spa, a conference centre, and children’s play areas complete with water slides. Adventure-seekers can also pay for extras like ziplining, trampolining, and ATV rides, making Warmbaths a well-rounded destination for families, couples, and corporate groups alike — and a key reason the Warmbaths resort sale has drawn so much attention.
Warmbaths is only part of the picture in this deal. Forever Resorts holds nine resorts in total, along with three lodges and several smaller properties, many of them tucked away in scenic, out-of-town locations such as Plettenberg Bay and near the Gariep Dam. Their remote settings make them popular for eco-tourism activities like game drives and camping, and most come equipped with their own conference and wedding facilities.
Who Is Buying Warmbaths in This Resort Sale
Benus Trade and Invest is the company stepping in to take over Forever Resorts as part of the Warmbaths resort sale. According to the Competition Commission, Benus operates across a wide range of sectors, including healthcare, information and communication technology, power and energy, mining, logistics, and infrastructure. It shares directors with Community Investment Holdings (CIH), though Benus itself keeps a relatively low public profile.
In its ruling on the sale, the Commission said it was satisfied that the transaction would not harm competition in any relevant market, adding that the deal “does not raise significant public interest concerns.”
The State-Owned Origins of the Resort Deal
Warmbaths and several of its sister properties have an interesting ownership history that predates the current resort sale. Eight of the resorts now under the Forever Resorts banner originally belonged to Aventura, a state-owned company. Aventura sold these assets to Forever Siyonwaba Resorts back in 2003, and ownership was subsequently transferred to Forever Resorts. Aventura itself was later liquidated, with most of its remaining properties absorbed into the Forever Resorts group that has now agreed to the Warmbaths resort sale.
Why Regulators Approved the Warmbaths Sale
The Warmbaths resort sale was one of several transactions cleared by the Competition Commission around the same time, alongside Resilient’s purchase of Mams Mall and the sale of the Bloed Street Mall. The Commission’s role in reviewing mergers and acquisitions like the Warmbaths resort sale is to make sure no single business ends up with unfair control over a market, or in a position to push out smaller competitors.
Large deals such as this one are assessed under the Competition Act, which sets the ground rules for keeping South Africa’s business environment fair and accessible. Where a transaction is found likely to reduce competition or harm the public interest, the Commission can attach conditions or block it outright. In this case, regulators found no such risk in the sale, clearing the way for Benus to take full ownership of the Forever Resorts portfolio.
What the Sale Means for Visitors
For now, there’s no indication that the Warmbaths resort sale will affect how the resort and its sister properties operate day to day. Bookings, pricing, and amenities are expected to continue as normal while the new owner settles in. As with any change of hands in the hospitality sector, though, holidaymakers with a soft spot for the hot springs at Bela Bela will likely be watching to see whether Benus makes any changes to the brand they’ve grown up visiting following the sale.
The Warmbaths resort sale lands at a moment when South African tourism is being pushed hard on the global stage. South African Tourism recently launched a new campaign aimed at drawing more international visitors to destinations just like Bela-Bela, as covered in
South African Tourism Launches New Global Marketing Campaign
Full details of the Competition Commission’s approval of the Warmbaths resort sale were first reported by
BusinessTech.
