Reiterating its call for government to introduce a remote worker visa, the City of Cape Town has signed a deal with Airbnb to attract more digital nomads to its shores.
The partnership sees the City’s official Destination Marketing Organisation, Cape Town Tourism, collaborate with Airbnb to promote the metro to remote workers seeking accommodation for their long-term stays.
“With its beaches, bars, mountains and vineyards all on a traveller’s doorstep, alongside infrastructure that lets people go online at coffee shops or co-working spaces, Cape Town is the ideal location for digital nomads. Attracting more visitors and digital nomads will lead to more job opportunities being created in the tourism and hospitality sector,” said Cape Town Mayor, Geordin Hill-Lewis.
He pointed out that innovation was necessary to continuously attract travellers. “Digital nomads make up an ever-expanding market within tourism. More and more countries are launching remote work visas and South Africa literally cannot afford to be left behind.”
City of Cape Town Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth, James Vos, agreed, noting that it was clear that the remote worker model was not merely a passing trend and that destinations and tourism operators needed to make sure they responded to changing needs in traveller demand.
74% believe remote working is the ‘new normal’
He said: “A 2021 survey of global professionals found that 74% of respondents believe remote working will become the new normal, while 97% of employees and entrepreneurs said they wanted flexibility in terms of where they do their jobs.
“This is why we approached Airbnb, the global leader in the home-stay platform and who recently initiated a policy to let their employees live and work from anywhere in the world.”
The partnership agreement will include a range of initiatives, such as a dedicated custom-built Airbnb hub for Cape Town that will showcase top local long-term listings and information relating to entry requirements and visa policies.
Enver Duminy, CEO of Cape Town Tourism added: “Voted as the leading African city for innovation, Cape Town offers an unparalleled experience for business travellers and digital nomads alike. The work-life balance that our city offers is unique. One minute you can be sitting on one of our beautiful shorelines and the next you’re on top of Table Mountain – the city’s most iconic landmark and one of the seven Natural Wonders of the World.”
Remote worker visa
Vos emphasised that enacting a Remote Worker Visa was key to increasing South Africa’s appeal to international digital nomads.
“Pushing for this visa – which President Cyril Ramaphosa said early this year was being looked at – remains one of my top priorities. More than a year ago, I submitted a proposal to National Government for an amendment to Section 11 of the Immigration Act which relates to an extension of visas beyond 90 days for specific activities.”
Vos said the facts were clear: “Remote workers tend to stay beyond three months in a location while spending up to R50 000 (€2 900) during their stay.”
While national Government has yet to make an official announcement on the issuing of a remote worker visa, Vos said the City has already begun liaising with providers and leaders of the tourism and hospitality industries.
“As a City, we are leading from the front by working with accommodation providers and organisations such as FEDHASA on product pricing and readiness that align with the needs of remote workers,” he said.
