Planning a trip to the Western Cape? You can now get a longer-term Airbnb property for cheaper thanks to a partnership with the provincial government.
The Western Cape has already announced its push to attract not only more tourists - but also digital nomads that can work from anywhere and this partnership can make it even cheaper for them to stay longer.
After spending the better part of a year unable to travel and confined to their homes, remote workers around the world are looking for destinations to work from.
Velma Corcoran, Airbnb's Regional Lead for Middle East Africa said that “remote working vacations are becoming increasingly popular in South Africa, so we are thrilled to partner with [tourism, trade and investment promotion agency] Wesgro to promote domestic tourism through longer term stays, while supporting economic recovery in Cape Town and 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 benefiting the local communities and businesses through increased spending.”
And there is already interest, with Airbnb reporting that in January and February 2021 searches for longer-term stays in Cape Town increased by 50% compared to 2020.
Using the “explore longer stays” option on its website, visitors can choose between stays in free-standing homes, apartments, and suites across the popular Atlantic Seaboard, stretching up the West Coast and Garden Route and extending into the arid Karoo.
There is, however, no blanket discount – in percentage terms – applied to all longer-stay options. Instead, hosts have been encouraged to adjust their prices independently.
Selecting a stay that lasts for 28 days or longer, now automatically displays hosts which offer “new lower prices”. Discounts range from 10% to 50%.
It is hoped that this initiative could lower the high long-term rental prices in Cape Town, further enticing these digital nomads to relocate to South Africa.
A visa for digital nomads
Earlier in 2021, the Western Cape government started advocating for a new remote work visa that would allow for stays ranging between three months to a year to those who can provide proof of income from foreign sources during their stay in South Africa
There are around 18 countries that offer digital nomad visas stretching from the Caribbean islands like Barbados, Cayman Islands, and Bermuda to European countries like Croatia and the Czech Republic as well as Dubai.
“We have everything it takes to be the best remote working location in the world if we remove the red tape – and roll-out the red-carpet for these travellers. To do so, South Africa urgently needs to introduce a ‘Remote Working Visa’. Most leading tourism destinations in the world have one already, and we should have one too,” says Premier Alan Winde
“The Western Cape Government will therefore lobby both the president and the minister of Home Affairs, Aaron Motsoaledi, to introduce this visa as soon as possible.”
“We must continue to be the leading tourism destination in South Africa, and we must encourage more of our fellow citizens to visit our province.”
Before the pandemic struck and decimated the local tourism sector, Airbnb says it contributed R8.9 billion to the local economy.
