a Shady Past to a Shiny Present Cape Town and Western Cape Launch

Cape Town and Western Cape Launch Cam Remote Workers With Airb

By Kelsey Marie

Western Cape Government and Wesgro, in partnership with Airbnb, launched www.airbnb.co.za/d/westerncape to promote remote working domestically, as South African’s take advantage of the fl exibility that working from anywhere brings.

The region has long been a favourite with local holidaymakers, and now the abundance of remote working options further enhances this off er by drawing those who want longer stays in an inspiring province. With family-friendly options in the city as well as a world of activities to explore in the greater Western Cape, the destination is perfect for those who want more out their day – a meeting on the mountain, a dip in the ocean during screen breaks or the joy of working from the many breath-taking wine farms and quaint towns. The region has everything a remote worker needs for one day, three months, or even longer… and promises experiences that are wallet-friendly and world-class.

Welcoming the campaign, Premier Alan Winde commented: “Supporting a recovery and protecting jobs in the tourism industry requires us to think innovatively and embrace emerging trends in travel. Digital nomads have the fl exibility to stay longer, because they can work from anywhere. The Western Cape is ready to welcome these visitors and provide them with a place to explore while they work. We strongly support this initiative.”

The value of the digital nomad has also been recognised by the City of Cape Town, and according to Airbnb data, with domestic searches for longer term stays increasing by almost 50% year-on-year from 1 January – 25 February 2021 compared to the same time period last year*. More South Africans are also looking to travel domestically, helping to drive economic and tourism recovery across the country, and this is fl owing through to local Hosts. Since the start of the pandemic, new Hosts in South Africa with only one listing have already collectively earned more than US$3 million (almost R50 million).

On Airbnb, Hosts are able to off er monthly discounts for reservations of 28 days or longer, and the platform has fi lters to help guests to fi nd domestic stays easily, whether they want to work in the Cape Winelands, the Garden Route, the Klein Karoo or beyond. Hosts and guests on Airbnb collectively contributed R8,9 billion to the local economy in 2018, supporting the equivalent of 22,000 jobs. The majority of hosts are women.

Velma Corcoran, Regional Lead for Middle East Africa at Airbnb, says: “Remote working vacations are becoming increasingly popular in South Africa, so we are thrilled to partner with Wesgro to promote domestic tourism through longer term stays, while supporting economic recovery in Cape Town and the Western Cape.”

Corcoran added, “As people’s travel habits change, local Hosts on Airbnb are leading the way, enabling South Africans to book local, aff ordable longer-

mpaign to Attract bnb

term stays in places such as the Western Cape. Guests can live like a local and work remotely from some of South Africa’s most beautiful locations, while this new type of travel is also benefi ting the local communities and businesses through increased spending. Hosts also keep up to 97% of their earnings.”

Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, David Maynier, welcomed the launch of the campaign saying, “This campaign couldn’t have come at a better time as more people work from home and as increased digitisation gives fl exibility to working locations. The Western Cape is a great place to live, work and play, and our partnership with Airbnb will ensure that those looking for remote working locations will consider Cape Town and the Western Cape. Our tourism and hospitality sectors have been hard-hit by the Covid-19 pandemic and this initiative is one of the many ways that we are working hard to support the sector and rebuild our economy in the Western Cape.” “Cape Town and the Western Cape is the ultimate destination for those who want more out of their working environment. There are over 30 coworking spaces and 715 free WiFi spots in the city of Cape Town alone – with many options in the greater Western Cape province. Moreover, we are the most energy secure province in the country, with a well-developed community of local and international entrepreneurs. We are excited about this joint eff ort to attract domestic audiences to our wellequipped destination,” concluded Tim Harris, Wesgro CEO.

The campaign encourages safe, responsible travel and will work to ensure guests get the experience they’ve waited so long to enjoy.

Visit this site for more information on long term, remote working stays. *Airbnb internal data on number of searches made on the platform for stays of 28 nights or more, January 2021 compared to January 2020.

https://travelnoire.com/south-africa-perfect-postcorona-escape Image credit: www.airbnb.co.za/d/westerncape