South Africa’s MORE Collection has taken the top spot in two separate categories of the 2026 Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards, becoming the first hospitality collection to hold No. 1 rankings in both a safari and a city hotel category in the same year.
Lion Sands Game Reserve, part of the MORE portfolio in the Sabi Sand, was named the No. 1 Safari Lodge in Africa. In Cape Town, Cape Cadogan Boutique Hotel earned the No. 1 City Hotel in Africa title, with its Upper Union restaurant cited as one of the city’s leading dining destinations.
The double win underscores a broader trend APTA members have been tracking: African safari and urban experiences are increasingly being judged — and rewarded — on the same global stage, with reader-voted awards like Travel + Leisure’s continuing to shape how North American advisors position southern Africa itineraries.
For MORE Collection’s custodian and CEO, the recognition reflects the teams behind the properties as much as the properties themselves. “These awards represent something bigger than rankings,” the company said in a statement to trade partners. “They recognise the incredible teams who show up every day with pride, care and a genuine commitment to creating consistently exceptional experiences for every guest.”
The wins add fresh momentum for advisors building or refreshing South Africa programs, offering a combined bush-and-city narrative — Sabi Sand game drives paired with a design-forward Cape Town base — that plays well in client-facing itineraries and marketing.
MORE Collection operates multiple lodges across the Sabi Sand, Lower Zambezi, and Okavango Delta, alongside its Cape Town hospitality portfolio.
