SA Airbnb hosts riding the wave of tourism growth

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SA's women in tourism are at the forefront benefiting from this:

• In 2016, 63 percent of Airbnb hosts in South Africa were women

• A typical woman host in South Africa earned nearly $2,000 last year, more income than earned by the typical female hosts in Brazil, China or India (Russia was not included in the study).

• More than 60 percent of women hosts in South Africa are superhosts - hosts who are specially designated by Airbnb as hosting guests frequently, receiving a high number of five-star reviews, and being exceptionally responsive to guests and committed to reservations.

• Sixty percent of South African women hosts with children, i.e., single mothers, use their Airbnb income to help them stay in their homes.

Other South African statistics from the report include:

• Over 600,000 guests arrived at Airbnb listings in South Africa in the past year, representing year-over-year growth of 144 percent. The leading countries of origin are the US, the UK, and Germany. Brazil ranks ninth among all countries of origin. Across the five BRICS nations, year-over-year growth in guest arrivals from within the BRICS has been highest here

• 269,000 domestic guest arrivals within the past year

• 204% year-over-year growth in domestic guest arrivals

• South Africa has seen the strongest growth in guest arrivals from BRICS nations at 380 percent, with explosive year-over-year growth in guests arriving from Brazil, by a factor of nine.

• South African hosts’ total income earned from BRICS-based guests ranks the highest of the five countries at $1.88m.