Zambia’s renowned safari camps acquired by Indian hotelier in major luxury deal

Indian hotelier Jaisal Singh has acquired Chiawa Camp and Old Mondoro, two luxury safari camps on Zambia’s Zambezi River, adding a major African foothold to his SUJÁN hospitality business. The deal brings together two family-founded safari operators as international demand grows for secluded, conservation-focused experiences in some of Africa’s wildest destinations.

SUJÁN enters Zambia

SUJÁN announced the acquisition from Chiawa Safaris on Monday, Sept. 28. The companies did not disclose the purchase price. Both camps sit along the Zambezi in Lower Zambezi National Park, one of southern Africa’s less-developed protected areas, where Chiawa is the older and more established property and Old Mondoro offers a more intimate setting.

The camps are built around isolation as much as wildlife. Old Mondoro has only a handful of tents and sits deeper inside the national park, while Chiawa has a longer operating history and broader recognition among safari travelers. Their appeal lies in offering guests an experience shaped by wilderness, privacy and limited contact with other visitors.

A broader African ambition

Singh described the transaction as more than a geographic expansion, pointing to his longstanding connection with Africa and its approach to conservation-led tourism. He said the continent has demonstrated how responsible tourism can work alongside conservation. SUJÁN already operates Elephant Pepper Camp in Kenya’s Maasai Mara, making Zambia its first African acquisition rather than its first African property.

Singh’s hotel business predates the family’s current expansion plans. He opened Sher Bagh at Ranthambhore in 2000, establishing one of India’s early luxury safari camps, before partnering with Aman Resorts on Aman-i-Khas at the same reserve. The Serai in Jaisalmer followed in 2009, while JAWAI launched in 2013 around the leopard habitat between Jodhpur and Udaipur.

The SUJÁN portfolio has since become closely associated with high-end, nature-focused hospitality in India. Every SUJÁN property in the country belongs to Relais & Châteaux, while Singh was elected the association’s vice president in 2013, becoming its youngest officeholder and the only Indian to have held the position.

Zambia’s luxury market grows

The acquisition comes as Zambia’s luxury tourism industry attracts new investment and operators. In July, Anantara Tented Camp Kafue River opened inside Kafue National Park, one of Africa’s largest protected wilderness areas. The property marked Anantara’s first tented safari camp in Africa as the brand expanded its presence across the continent.

The Zambezi deal follows the launch in August of Zambia Luxury Lodge Collection, or ZLLC, an owner-led safari brand bringing four luxury properties under one portfolio. The collection combines Chichele Presidential, Puku Ridge, Lolebezi and Lolelunga Private Reserve across South Luangwa National Park, Lower Zambezi National Park and Lolelunga Private Reserve.

The moves point to a broader effort to position Zambia’s safari industry around premium, low-density experiences rather than mass tourism. For SUJÁN, the acquisition of Chiawa Camp and Old Mondoro gives Singh a deeper presence in a market where wilderness, conservation and exclusivity are increasingly central to the luxury travel proposition.