Midlands Bed & Breakfast Association

17/04/2019

New bill for Airbnb rentals?
Public has 60 days to comment on new proposal
The Witness17 Apr 2019
THE public has 60 days from Monday, April 15 to submit comments on the Tourism Amendment Bill, which will regulate short-term accommodation in the so-called shared economy, Blessing Manale, chief director of communications at the Department of Tourism, told Fin24 on Monday.

Airbnb is an example of such a business model. “We are not trying to ‘kill’ Airbnb-type accommodation, but there is currently no legislation stipulating who is responsible for regulating that industry,” he said.

The bill was published in the Government Gazette last Friday and was republished on Monday, due to a printing glitch. The bill will enable the minister of Tourism to determine certain socalled “thresholds” for short-term home rentals.

According to Manale, these could include a limit on the number of nights guests could stay at an establishment. It could perhaps even limit the number of guests due to potentially larger water consumption in an area.

Thresholds could also look at pricing, zoning, how much an establishment can earn and maybe even regulating matters like security. “It is ultimately to ensure we bring all the various types of shortterm accommodation into one pot. We want to make sure that whatever shared economy business model comes here, we are ready for it,” said Manale.

The Department of Tourism plans to discuss with provincial and local governments on issues like oversight on zoning and whether Airbnb-type establishments should only be allowed to operate in certain areas.

“We are proposing to first empower the minister of Tourism and then he can decide what should be the biggest priorities, for instance for thresholds,” said Manale. He emphasised that it is not about whether operations like Airbnb should exist or not.

“They are, however, mostly selfregulating. We now just want to hear both sides — from those having such accommodation establishments and those who feel it is hampering the more ‘formal’ tourism industry,” he said.

“The bill is now under public consultation. We just want to gather input from the industry, local government and even tax experts on how to deal with income, for instance, that might be falling through the cracks.” The department is in the process of holding seminars and workshops to inform people about the bill and its proposed changes for the shared economy.

“The intention of the bill is to create the best outcome for the local tourism industry.” — Fin24.

• More information on how to submit comments on the bill can be obtained from Mmaditonki Setwaba on [email protected] or

012 444 6312.

19/02/2017

Copy of the article which appeared in the 18 February 2017 edition of The Weekend Witness. Be at the meeting at 10 a.m. at the Kent Pavilion, Maritzburg College on Tuesday 26 February 2017 to discuss this and other issues.

27/07/2016

It is with great sadness that MIDBABA reports the passing of long time member of MIDBABA, Gill Withey, who owned and ran The Homestead B&B. Condolences to Ant and the Withey family.

04/02/2016

Mike Greatwood from the Msunduzi Municipality, addresses the AGM of the Midlands Bed and Breakfast Association, on the implication of water restrictions being introduced tot he Region in the light of the severe drought.. Conserve Water is the message.

17/10/2015

The Midlands Bed and Breakfast Association congratulates one of its members, Penny Hatting and her restaurant, Traffords, that she runs in conjunction with her B&B, on making headline news in South Africa's oldest newspaper, The Witness. Traffords is Pietermaritzburg's only fine dining restaurant.

03/10/2015

Much has been reported on the impact of recent legislation on visa requirements for children travelling with their parents and others into South Africa. It is negatively impacting on Tourism in South Africa and therefore on the hospitality industry.

The National Accommodation Association of South Africa [NAA-SA] is in regular contact with relevant authorities on this issue, fighting for the cause of B&Bs in South Africa. Take a look at this

https://www.facebook.com/National-Accommodation-Association-of-South-Africa-122027251162658/timeline/?ref=bookmarks

Supporting guesthouses, B&Bs & self-catering stays | Exclusive discounts from trusted suppliers

19/06/2015

When it comes to cleaning products, MIDBABA, highly recommends Hygienix as a supplier. They never fail when it comes to quality of product as well as efficiency of service. They will go way beyond the ordinary in what they do. They includes training of housekeepers in the use of their products.

www.hygienix.co.za

Sanitation & Cleaning Services, Industrial Chemicals Specialists

23/01/2015

An upsurge in Fraud, targeting the B&B industry.

Several notices have been received from the National Accommodation Association in the last few days which suggests that B&Bs are being targeted. Here is the modus operandi of this particular operation:

1. A booking is made and the owner asks for a payment.
2. Payment is made by cheque, but it is a significant over payment is made. [It has happened that a Cash Payment is made, where the Receipt is modified]
3. The guest then communicates with owners, saying s/he made an error and asks that the the amount overpaid be deposited into a bank account.

How to deal with this.

1. Don't make any repayment, informing the potential guest that you will need 2 weeks for the cheque to clear. If it is Cash payment, inform the guest that you will sort it out in due course.
2. Inform your bank of what has happened and ask them to investigate. Don't make any repayment before the all clear is given by the Bank.

Just a reminder about another regular scam. You receive an enquiry for a very good booking and most often in the initial enquiry, they ask if they can pay by Credit Card and often ask for the amount in GBP or USD [You may be informed that a cheque payment will be made]. If you respond [I would advise you to not even respond], they will ask you to charge the Card for an extra amount and pay the surplus over to a 3rd party and offer you 'commission' to do so. The request invariably comes from the UK, where fraud is rampant. Remember - "If something seems to good to be true, it means just that."

Don't be taken in with the thought that the booking will be lucrative; it invariably leads to the opposite.

20/11/2014

The next meeting of MIDBABA will take place on 17 February 2015 at the Kent Pavilion at Maritzburg College. It will be our AGM and we will be electing a new committee to oversee the running of the Association for the 2015/16 year; new blood always brings new ideas. The present committee is :- Des Morgan [Chairperson], Michele de Souza [Treasurer], Margie Williams [Secretary], Lara Edmonds [Promotions], Phumzile Mamashela, Mila Pesek, Trevor McCalgan, & Karel van der Westhuizen.

08/11/2014

The Midlands Bed & Breakfast Association [MIDBABA] is an association of Bed & Breakfasts and Self-catering establishments operating in the Midlands area of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

08/11/2014

One of the crucial decisions that we make as B&B operators on a frequent basis is how are we going to spend our budget for marketing. If you are looking for guests, we will need to market our establishment; they won't arrive according to a magic formula. One of my B&B colleagues, Yvonne Halling, has written this thought-provoking blog - have a read.

http://www.littlehotelier.com/blog/save-yourself-bed-breakfast/

Do you often wonder how to be more efficient and drive direct bookings at your Bed & Breakfast? You can! Read more...

23/07/2014

Some useful advice

http://www.ideate.co.za/2014/07/22/hackers-new-target-small-businesses-with-limited-online-security/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FDruM+%28Ideate%29

Today, malware attacks are more frequent, devious and more targeted, successfully penetrating many businesses that consider their security strategies to be adequate, says Carey van Vlaanderen, CEO ESET Southern Africa. Businesses should be aware that your security system from last year may not be pr…