With the launch of the new South African edition of Monopoly, called Monopoly Mzansi, comes a moment of pride for the only hotel to grace the board – The Oyster Box in Umhlanga, Durban. The iconic five star hotel which overlooks the Indian Ocean and striking red and white lighthouse was voted to appear on the new Monopoly Board by the South African public, a testament to the local pride for this luxurious coastal hotspot.

Now over 80 years old, Monopoly has been enjoyed by over a billion people worldwide and earlier this year, South Africans were encouraged to vote for their favourite South African location, street attraction or destination to be part of Monopoly history. Over the past few years, numerous regional country versions of Monopoly have been produced and to date the game is licensed in 103 countries, with Monopoly Mzansi being the latest addition.

“We are thrilled to be included on the board, especially since we were voted on by the South African public,” says Wayne Coetzer, General Manager of The Oyster Box.  “The iconic Oyster Box is the only hotel to have garnered a coveted spot on this edition of the world's favourite board game and sits alongside a number of other Durban landmarks.”

The special localised Mzansi edition features 22 landmarks and four transport stations, with the newest addition being the Gautrain Train station in Sandton. V&A Waterfront and Table Mountain scooped the most expensive spots followed by Boulders Beach, Chapman's Peak Drive and Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens.

Siphiwe Thabethe, country marketing manager for Hasbro South Africa, says of the new imagining of Monopoly, “Some locations are old favourites, The Kruger Park, Gold Reef City and the Union Buildings, with the addition of a few new trendy spots such as Nelson Mandela Square, Maboneng, 4th Avenue Parkhurst and The Oyster Box Hotel. There is also a strong link to Madiba's legacy with the inclusion of Vilakazi Street and Robben Island.”

The Oyster Box recently won the regional Lilizela Award for the top 5-Star Hotel in KZN and earlier this year, was the recipient of South Africa's Best Hotel Spa 2016 at the World Spa Awards; this Monopoly accreditation from the public is the cherry on top of a great year for the hotel and consolidates its standing as a Durban landmark.