An American-based company has taken over the site of the shuttered Fish River Resort despite its lease agreement being declared invalid.
The company says it will increase the capacity of the 126-room hotel to 250 rooms, revamp the Gary Player-designed golf course and build a water park.
The Fish River Sun closed in November 2017 after struggling for five years to stay afloat following the closure of its casino. The casino’s gambling licence was reallocated to Gqeberha’s Boardwalk Casino in 2012.
The site was also the subject of a protracted land claim process, with the resort property and several surrounding farms eventually being awarded to the Prudhoe community trust.
However, attempts to find a suitable investor have been stymied by infighting in the community, with separate contracts signed with competing developers and the hotel left ransacked.
US investment group Joktel earlier in 2025 announced plans to reopen the dilapidated tourist resort, as Joktel Fish River Resort, by February 2026.
Read more here.
Daily Dispatch
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