The multi award-winning Saxon Collection in South Africa has appointed Mason Rose as its UK PR agency, tasked with managing the press office and media relations in the UK and Ireland.

The Saxon Collection is a unique group of privately-owned properties offering the ultimate journey of discovery and exploration in Africa.

The Saxon Collection comprises The Saxon Hotel, Villas & Spa, Johannesburg, Zulu Camp, and The Nelson Mandela Centre for Reconciliation at Shambala Private Game Reserve.

Renowned for its world-class service and strong sense of place, The Saxon Hotel, Villas & Spa is an exclusive retreat nestled in a peaceful tree-lined corner of Johannesburg’s Sandhurst neighbourhood, a stone’s throw from the city’s shopping and business districts.

Set in ten acres of lush landscaped grounds, the 53-suite hotel includes six swimming pools; three luxurious dining venues, including the recently launched Luke Dale Roberts X at The Saxon; two bars, including the Eighteen05 Whisky Bar, fully equipped fitness centre and five distinctive meeting and events spaces.

A former private home, the property has played a key role in South African history, having hosted many high profile guests over the years. 

The hotel’s impressive art collection includes photographs of some of these esteemed personalities as well as an eclectic mix of established and emerging artists and artefacts from Africa, Europe and the East. 

The hotel’s most influential guest was former South African president and Nobel Prize-winner Nelson Mandela who completed his autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom at The Saxon.

This autumn will see the launch of a new two-floor Saxon Spa designed by acclaimed interior designer Stephen Falcke.

The new spa will be an oasis of wellness, taking guests on a holistic journey incorporating sound, touch and sight.

Ideal for a twin-centre escape, The Saxon’s sister property, Shambala Private Game Reserve offers an authentic African bushveld experience, boasting 12,000 hectares of wilderness in the Limpopo Province, home to the ‘Big Five’ and set against the backdrop beautiful Waterberg mountain range. 

With just eight luxurious lodges constructed in traditional Zulu materials that blend seamlessly with the landscape, Shambala provides a truly magical safari experience.

Activities on offer include game drives, guided bush walks, star-gazing, fishing, mountain bike riding, sundowner cruises and bush picnics, as well as unwinding at the intimate Shambala Spa.

Also set in the grounds of Shambala and the most recent addition to The Saxon Collection is the historic Nelson Mandela Centre for Reconciliation, built especially for the former President as his personal retreat.

Opened in 2001, the six bedroom house was used to receive Mandela’s guests and parties and can now be booked in its entirety for family celebrations, parties and small meetings.