Airbnb, an American online hospitality marketplace, released a progress report at the end of 2017, including its ambitious goals. According to the report, Airbnb has 100,000 listings in Africa.
“There are 44,000 listings in South Africa and the next biggest after that is Morocco with just over 20,000. Then there’s a big gap and you get Kenya with 6,000. We’re seeing the business become more and more significant and I’m excited by the opportunity Africa presents. We want a world where anyone can belong anywhere,” Velma Corcoran, Southern Africa regional marketing consultant said.
The report also highlights that the typical Airbnb host makes $1,500 annually and a listing is shared for 18 nights every year. The typical age of hosts in Africa is 43, with 49 percent men and 51 percent women. Nigeria has 739 active listings with hosts making about $1,000. The average listing on Airbnb is shared for 13 nights every year.
“In some markets, the key to building trust is the quality of the listings and the quality in Lagos and Nairobi has improved considerably over the past year. The other thing that builds trust is the review system which is relevant to the platform,” Corcoran added.
The company launched Airbnb Experiences in 10 cities in 2016, including Nairobi and Cape Town.
According to Airbnb, 97 percent of accommodation charges remain with the listing owner while 42 percent of what guests spent circulates in the local neighbourhood. In the past five years, there have been more than 2M visitors and host have made $139 million.
Corcoran said Airbnb has created its own niche where 40 percent of guests in South Africa would not make the trip without the company.
Airbnb hopes to concentrate on inclusive tourism in the future. […] We are focused on long-term growth and I like to think of South Africa as an incubator for other (African) markets.”
