Africa Business News

The South African Department of Tourism has published a new whitepaper that proposes new regulations for Airbnb and other home-sharing apps. The Department of Tourism in April 2019, unveiled its plans to regulate Airbnb and similar home-sharing apps through the Tourism Amendment Bill. This bill aims to grant the tourism minister the authority to set specific thresholds for South African Airbnbs. The South African government has argued that platforms like Airbnb could lead to a surplus of unregistered properties on the accommodation market, resulting in the value of formal accommodation providers, such as hotels and guesthouses declining. Michele de Souza, chair of the Pietermaritzburg Bed and Breakfast Network, is advocating for specific regulations that Airbnb hosts should follow. De Souza also called for Airbnb to pay taxes and adhere to business regulations like traditional businesses.