Impilo Yethu means "our life" in the Xhosa language, and that is what we hope to share with our guests through our Homestays! We can't wait to meet you!
We are a group of women working together to provide income opportunities for families in our community and share our life with guests from across the globe. Mhinti is a passionate community worker who has worked with youth and families in Imizamo Yethu for over ten years. Ashley is originally from California but has lived in Cape Town for 5+ years, initially staying with a family in a township com
munity and is passionate about enabling more families and travelers engage in authentic cultural exchange. Kunji is a mother of two who enjoys welcoming guests into her cozy home in the vibrant community of Imizamo Yethu!
This is what Easter with Mama Mirriam looks like! We’re thrilled to have had Zoe from Germany arrive this weekend to spend the next month staying with Mama Mirriam and Welcome in Imizamo Yethu! Big thanks to Pato tours for collecting her from the airport too! What a warm welcoming to South Africa!
Join Pato tours on one of their fantastic packages!
One of our co-founders is currently traveling the American South West and when staying in Monument Valley was lucky to find a camping option on directly outside the park. Alberta and her husband Bryan have only been hosting for four months and are steadily developing their property, Hummingbird Campground, to host more guests. Ashley spent her days exploring the park and nights enjoying Alberta’s Navajo Tacos and sitting around the campfire under amazing stars. They even have a hiking trail that offers stunning views. Awesome to be able to directly support a local family’s initiative and learn a bit more about Diné Navajo culture. @ Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park
We had a wonderful family stay with Mama Mirriam and enjoyed two afternoons on experiences with Mhinti's tours !
Mhinti has been loving offering her experiences to guests from around the world!
Join Mhinti to experience Imizamo Yethu and enjoy a traditional lunch in a local home!
Cape Town - Township tour expirience local flavour. I'm a founder of Sakhisizwe YDP (Youth Development Program), and one of the first staff members of Ikhaya Le Themba. I'm a registered tour guide. I have worked and lived in Imizamo Yethu for more than 10 years. My background is community developmen...
Awesome story of using the profits from homesharing to transform a community!
Impilo Yethu at the
At the Chantelle Cole from the V & A Waterfront just have a lovely mention of Hout Bay’s amazing Original T Bag Designs. Our community is brimming with amazing examples of social enterprises sharing South Africa with the world!
Nomsa, Ashley and Mirriam attended the Welcome Gala for the Airbnb . We’re excited for what the week holds! 🌍
Interested in getting involved with Airbnb hosting? Or are you a tech savvy entrepreneur living in a low income community who wants to connect your community to tourism opportunities? Check out the upcoming Airbnb Africa Academy opportunity! https://www.airbnbcitizen.com/south-africa/airbnb-africa-academy/
Book an e-bike tour with Mhinti and experience cruising along the world's most scenic road with amazing views of our community! 079 252 0150 https://www.impiloyethu.com/ebiking/
This past week Mama Miriam took a break from her busy soup kitchen duties to share her insights with Ashley Newell and her fellow students from the Graduate School of Business’ MPhil in Inclusive Innovation programme learning Design Thinking methods with HPI d-school UCT . 🤓
We're excited to welcome Nomsa "Belle" Somtsewu in Langa to our group of homestay hosts! She has hosted guests from around the world in her home since 2009! She has 5 guest rooms awaiting you and your friends! https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/23460050?s=51
We were honored to have our programme featured by CGTN Africa!
Our website is now live!
www.impiloyethu.com
Hout Bay, Cape Town, South Africa Authentic Community Tours, Experiences and Homestay Accommodation.
Lovely to see women in India being empowered through home sharing!
We’re so proud of our co-founder Mhinti Pato for graduating from her Tour Guide Certification course! She will now be a registered tour guide able to offer a new range of Impilo Yethu Experiences! Watch the space!
Check out the upcoming special on Cape Town!
Lights, Camera, Action! Mhinti and Mirriam being interviewed by CGTN Africa!
We had a lovely visit from Hlonela and Joni down from Nairobi CGTN Africa interviewing us on how Airbnb has enhanced our organization!
In May 2018, Airbnb will host The Africa Travel Summit bringing together thought-leaders and grassroots practitioners from across the continent to share, discuss and debate how technology can be used to accelerate inclusive and sustainable economic growth through tourism in underserved communities i...
https://south-africa.airbnbcitizen.com/launching-africas-first-home-sharing-club/
Last night, hosts on Airbnb, along with friends, family and members from different communities in the Western Cape, South Africa, came together to launch Africa’s first home sharing club in Khayelitsha. The Club already has exciting plans in place to launch a number of volunteer activities to suppor...
A lovely series of events in Khayelitsha with Airbnb. The launch of Africa's first Home Sharing Club, Tirisano, which we are proud to be apart of, and Cape I.T. Initiative (CITi) talking inclusive tourism at the Bandwidth Barn all with guest speaker Chris Lehane, Airbnb Head of Global Policy and Public Affairs.
Amazing to see so many people getting behind the work we are passionate about!
Airbnb Citizen AirbnbCapeTown
City of Cape Town and Airbnb sign first city collaboration agreement in Africa
Today, 18 October 2017, the City of Cape Town and Airbnb signed the hospitality platform’s first collaboration agreement with a city in Africa. Under the agreement, Airbnb and the City will work together to promote the benefits of people-to-people tourism for Cape Town residents and their communities, and promote Cape Town across the world as a unique travel destination.
Since 2008, hosts on Airbnb have welcomed over 200 million guests in 191 countries. In Cape Town there are 17 600 active listings on Airbnb and hosts have earned a combined income of R762 million over the past 12 months.
In the past year, hosts on Airbnb in Cape Town welcomed close to 290 000 visitors, which resulted in an estimated economic boost of R2,4 billion for the city. The typical host in Cape Town earns an additional R43 400 by sharing their home for 32 nights per year.
As part of the collaboration agreement, Airbnb and the City of Cape Town will:
● join forces to boost the attractiveness of Cape Town and enable Airbnb hosts to become ambassadors of the city
● work together to bring community-led tourism to townships and support greater economic and social empowerment
● celebrate Cape Town as an ‘Ideas Capital’ by hosting the Africa Travel Summit and bringing together 80 tourism and technology leaders from across the continent
● exchange insights and learnings about travel trends and the sharing economy in order to leverage the technology and the Airbnb platform to boost local communities
Airbnb will especially look to scale its pilot programme from earlier this year, which supported training in hospitality and technology for residents from townships across the Western Cape, to reach more women and youth in communities throughout Cape Town. The City will be invited to advise Airbnb on where to take the programme to ensure alignment with broader municipal priorities, including the City’s Organisational Development and Transformation Plan which aims to leverage technology for progress, thus building integrated communities and enabling greater economic inclusion.
The City’s Executive Mayor, Patricia de Lille, and Airbnb Global Head of Public Policy and Public Affairs, Chris Lehane, signed the agreement today in Cape Town. Airbnb has also committed to invest $1 million (R13 million) in community-led tourism projects in Africa, including Cape Town, over the next three years.
‘The City of Cape Town is building an opportunity city that creates an enabling environment for inclusive economic growth and job creation. The sharing economy has the ability to welcome more Capetonians into the tourism sector, in line with our efforts to build an inclusive city as we welcome more Airbnb guests. Cape Town is a globally competitive destination and we are creating the space for all entrepreneurs to excel,’ said Mayor De Lille.
‘People-to-people travel using Airbnb is bringing tourism benefits to local families and communities, and generates new revenue streams that stay right here in Cape Town. I'm delighted to be working with Cape Town on this pioneering collaboration to help promote the best of this beautiful city and its people to the world. Airbnb has so far partnered with more than 300 governments across the world and while this is our first city collaboration in Africa, we want to work together with everyone to use technology to help spread more benefits across Africa,’ said Lehane.
Executive summary of the collaboration agreement
The City of Cape Town-Airbnb collaboration, while not legally binding, will be executed in good faith, and is based on four strategic pillars:
1. Empowering hosts listing on Airbnb to be ambassadors for Cape Town
Airbnb and City of Cape Town intend to work together to raise awareness of Cape Town as a tourist destination, including certain challenges it may be facing, and to empower hosts listing on Airbnb with the tools to share the best of Cape Town with their guests. Examples include but are not limited to the following:
· Airbnb and the City of Cape Town will co-host community meet-ups for hosts listing on Airbnb to share information and updates about Cape Town’s unique offerings and activities. This will include, among other things, safety information, general hosting tips, and raising awareness on how to save water
· Airbnb to send communication to both hosts and guests advising them that they are in a severely drought-restricted area and send them to official City of Cape Town resources for tips on how to save water
2. Empower women in communities
Airbnb and the City of Cape Town intend to work together to empower hosting networks in lower-income communities. Examples include but are not limited to the following:
· Airbnb will look to scale its technology and hospitality information partnerships to reach more women and youth in communities throughout Cape Town. The City of Cape Town will be invited to advise on where to take the programme to ensure alignment with broader municipal priorities
3. Celebrate Cape Town as an ‘Ideas Capital’
Airbnb and the City of Cape Town intend to work together to celebrate Cape Town as a leader in the tourism space. Examples include but are not limited to the following:
· Airbnb plans to launch an Inclusive Tourism Summit, the first of its kind, in 2018 where it will invite leaders in the tourism, development and innovation space from across the continent to Cape Town, to discuss technology and tourism and the role they can together play to build a more inclusive economy. The Summit will also give a stage to leaders in Cape Town, who are innovating in the inclusive tourism space
4. Knowledge exchange
Airbnb and the City of Cape Town intend to share insights and learnings with each other to advance the sharing economy and home-sharing within Cape Town. Examples include but are not limited to the following:
· The City of Cape Town will seek to work with Airbnb to incorporate available Airbnb aggregate data or other appropriate information when planning research on tourism and travel. In support of this research, Airbnb will share selected non-personal data on Cape Town host and guest communities. Data to be shared includes survey data of Cape Town hosts and geospatial data on hosts and guests to Cape Town
Airbnb Citizen AirbnbCapeTown
Sharing a City of Cape Town Page...
CITY OF CAPE TOWN
26 SEPTEMBER 2017
STATEMENT BY THE CITY’S EXECUTIVE MAYOR, PATRICIA DE LILLE
City’s launches short-term rental survey to find balance of shared economy
Cape Town is one of the world’s most awarded travel destinations. Many of our residents find employment and training opportunities in this sector, and the direct and indirect contribution to the local economy is significant.
As the tourism industry has evolved and technology has improved, travelers have adopted new ways of planning their trips. Online booking platforms have become widely adopted in the travel sector, facilitating easier access to new markets for hosts, more options for guests, and improved convenience for all.
However, as with most disruptive innovations, there are potentially unintended consequences and undesirable outcomes that need to be managed. The City of Cape Town is committed to delivering inclusive economic growth to its residents, while remaining a globally competitive business city in line with the commitments in our Organisational Development and Transformation Plan.
It is with this in mind that the City is looking at how to guide the evolution of the sharing economy in a way that supports our commitments, beginning with short term letting platforms. We have studied approaches from leading Cities around the world, all of which hold some valuable lessons, but don’t find themselves in the developing economy context as we do.
The City has therefore decided to launch a research survey platform that will allow representatives from all sectors in society to present their view on short-term letting platforms in an attempt to design our approach to this sharing economy phenomenon that will work within our context to enable the realisation of inclusive economic growth and enhance our global reputation. The surveys seek to elicit a balanced response based on analytical data, while also providing an outlet for qualitative reasoning representative of all stakeholders. The user groups we have identified to participate in this survey are residents, property marketers, hoteliers/guest houses, short-term letting hosts, and guests.
The survey platform is live on the City’s website as of today 26 September 2017, and will also be promoted through the City’s various media channels. The timelines for development of a policy/regulation are not yet defined, as this depends on the kind of data that the research reveals.
Some of the questions asked on the survey include whether residents live in a building or neighbourhood that utilises short-term letting, what motivates people to let their properties on a short-term lease, and how many nights in total people have spent in booked short-term accommodation in Cape Town in the past three years.
Members of the public are urged to keep an eye on local media for further details and we encourage all stakeholders to participate actively by sharing their data and insights.
http://www.capetown.gov.za/City-Connect/Have-your-say/Issues-open-for-public-comment/comment-on-short-term-rentals-in-cape-town/Comment%20on%20short-term%20rentals%20in%20Cape%20Town
Sharing a City of Cape Town Page...
So much to do in our neighbourhood! Come and explore!
Six ways to make the most of this stunning seaside town.
We love what possibilities has enabled for our communities!
The company known for room rentals now offers guided “experiences.”
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This is what Easter with Mama Mirriam looks like! We’re thrilled to have had Zoe from Germany arrive this weekend to spend the next month staying with Mama Mirriam and Welcome in Imizamo Yethu! Big thanks to Pato tours for collecting her from the airport too! What a warm welcoming to South Africa!
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Impilo Yethu means "our life" in the Xhosa language, and that is what we hope to share with our guests through our Homestays! We are a group of women working together to provide income opportunities for families in our community and share our life with guests from across the globe.
Our Hosts, Homes, & Communities
Imizamo Yethu
Imizamo Yethu is situated in the picturesque seaside suburb of Hout Bay and is rich in South African culture with many sites & activities in the area. 5 min to the beach or the vibrant Bay Harbour Market. Only a 15 min drive to the Constantia Winelands or Kirstenbosch Gardens and 25 minutes into Cape Town city. Imizamo Yethu means “Our Collective Effort” in isiXhosa and is also commonly called I.Y. or Mandela Park. Imizamo Yethu was established after South Africa achieved democracy and there is great Pan-African cultural diversity with approximately half the residents from other parts of South Africa and half from other African countries such as Malawi, Zimbabwe, and the DRC.
Mirriam Mdoda
Co-Founder
Homestay Host/ Meal Host
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/15777683
Mirriam is an inspiring grandmother who not only takes care of her granddaughter but also looks after her community by running her own soup kitchen to prepare food for community members awaiting services at the local medical clinic, elderly groups, and Sakhisizwe Youth Programme. Contact us about our Impilo Yethu Meals programme if you would like to join Mama Miriam for a traditional lunch or dinner in her home. Her chakalaka will make your mouth water!
Mhinti Pato
Co-Founder
Homestay Co-Host/ Experience Host
+27(0)792520150 for tours
Mhinti has completed the AirBnb Homestay Host Training and is a registered Tour Guide. She offers many community experiences around Hout Bay and is the founder and director of Sakhisizwe Youth Development Project.
Nomsa Ndabambi
Homestay Host
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/19666026
Nomsa has completed the AirBnb Homestay Host Training and is excited to welcome you to her home! She is an artisan who works at a local social enterprise making beautiful objects and purses out of recycled tea bags.
Langa
Langa is Cape Town’s oldest remaining township, established in 1923 and is steeped in history. Make sure to visit the old post office museum to learn more about how Langa residents were controlled during the Apartheid era and the effects forced removals had on Cape Town residents. Also visit Guga S'thebe which is home to a tourism office as well as many local artisans. There is also a performing arts centre which often has performances and events. There are many exciting annual events in Langa such as Open Streets and the Bridges for Music concert.
The name Langa means “sun” in the Xhosa language, but the name of the township is actually derived from the name Langalibalele – a famous chief who was imprisoned on Robben Island for rebelling against the government.
Nomsa Somtsewu
Homestay Host
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/23460050
Nomsa has been hosting guests in her family home since 2009. The large five bedroom three bath home has a lovely view of Table Mountain from its second storey.
Nomalady Bavuma
Homestay Host
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/14877456
Lady has been hosting guests in her family home since 1999. The three bedroom three bath home is often visited by extended family and returning guests. If you are a family or group of three or more there is an additional bedroom that can be made available - please be in contact to arrange! Some of Lady's grandchildren stay at the house during the week and other Langa based family often come over for dinner. You are sure to quickly feel part of the family.
Ashley Newell
Co-Founder
Ashley was was a guest in Nomalady's home when she first moved to South Africa from California in 2011. The experience of getting to know her host family and living in Langa for over a year was life changing. When she moved to Hout Bay for work she was inspired to connect with other mothers in Imizamo Yethu who were interested in opening their homes to host visitors. Together with Mhinti, Mirriam, and Kunji, Impilo Yethu was born! Ashley is currently working on her Masters in Inclusive Innovation at the UCT Graduate School of Business.
