Mantis Collection South Africa

Mantis Collection is a boutique hospitality group that was founded by conservationist Adrian Gardiner in 2000, with its main focus predominantly in South Africa. Mantis grew from Adrian’s vision to restore and rewild degraded farmland which he developed into the widely-acclaimed Shamwari Private Game Reserve. This was the first private game reserve in the Eastern Cape and the beginning of eco-tourism in a poverty-stricken province that had few opportunities outside of commercial farming. Adrian and the Mantis team successfully created a place where man and nature could co-exist sustainably.

From this initial success, the Mantis model was then developed worldwide, understanding that consumers could use the Mantis portfolio as a mark of quality, consistency, and character. Today the diverse portfolio of handpicked properties links up to create travel journeys, which offer guests the opportunity to experience the essence of the location in a setting of tailored luxury.

Mantis is acclaimed for its pioneering work in Development, Management, Marketing, Education & Conservation. This expertise also allows us to curate luxury hospitality experiences that are geared towards luxury travel, with conservation-focused experiences. From a b2b perspective, through consolidating and combining strategies from our five divisions, Mantis is well-positioned to offer Owners and Developers a full turnkey solution; from concept development and construction to operations, management, sales, and marketing, with each step supported and solidified in our ethos of Conservation, Education and Sustainability.

In April 2018, Accor, the world’s second-largest hotel group – gained a 50% stake in the Mantis Group. This Strategic partnership and acquisition illustrated Accor’s strategy to expand its footprint in Africa, and reinforce its position in curated one-of-a-kind experiences, whilst continuing both parties conservation and sustainability goals.