Buffalo City Metro mayor Princess Faku has called on the city’s homeowners to consider converting their homes to bed-and-breakfast rentals to help meet accommodation demands ahead of the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup.
Faku said the city’s accommodation sector had not recovered from the Covid-19 pandemic and the metro was looking at alternative ways to meet the demand of hosting World Cup matches, when 40,000 visitors are expected to visit the province for the tournament.
Faku was speaking to the Dispatch after premier Oscar Mabuyane’s state of the province address (Sopa) at the provincial legislature offices in Bhisho last week.
The province’s two metros are set to host matches when fans and teams descend on SA for the tournament in late 2027.
In December, the metro council approved the allocation of R20m to upgrade the Buffalo Park Cricket Stadium.
The province estimated that the 40,000 people would inject R800m into the provincial economy.
“The premier is emphasising that we must invest in tourism,” Faku said.
“We need to try to assist, especially by providing BnBs to revive the tourism economy.”
Faku said the metro had asked the provincial department of economic development to develop packages for businesses.
“We must encourage people to convert their households into bed-and-breakfasts, and the metro must assist.”
Faku did not rule out the possibility of monetary relief for metro BnBs.
“I know some owners of these BnBs owe municipalities a lot of money, but it must be case by case.”
She said the city would look at approaching the Port Alfred and Makana municipalities to help gear up for the influx.
We support innovative accommodation solutions, including community-based options, provided they are properly regulated, supported and linked to SMME participation, rather than being a short-term fix
— Luthando Bara, Black Business Forum chair
Black Business Forum chair Luthando Bara welcomed the province’s focus on sports and tourism as drivers of growth, and agreed that the Cricket World Cup presented a real economic opportunity.
“With the services sector remaining the province’s largest employer and closely linked to tourism, it is critical that both direct and downstream opportunities from this event benefit the city, local businesses and township economies.”
Bara said the moment called for tourism product owners to seize the opportunity by ensuring their offerings, pricing, service standards and visibility were market-ready.
“At the same time, the government must urgently co-ordinate investment in infrastructure, safety, transport and township tourism so that the benefits are broad-based.
“We also highlight the ongoing constraint of limited flights into East London, which could significantly restrict visitor numbers and economic gains if not addressed.
“We support innovative accommodation solutions, including community-based options, provided they are properly regulated, supported and linked to SMME participation, rather than being a short-term fix.”
Bara said it would be reasonable to consider debt relief for the sector, given the prolonged recovery from the pandemic.
“The World Cup must leave a lasting legacy for local enterprises.”
In his Sopa address, Mabuyane called on the Buffalo City and Nelson Mandela Bay metros to invest more in tourism-related infrastructure upgrades before the tournament as the province was positioning itself as the home of sports and creative tourism.
He said the province had raked in a record R6bn in tourism revenue in the last quarter of 2025, with more than R4bn spent by visitors to the province in December.
He welcomed infrastructure developments in East London, including the investment made by the Transnet National Ports Authority in 2025 for the revamp of Latimer’s Landing at the Port of East London.
“It is a significant step towards the long-anticipated waterfront development.
“We congratulate Buffalo City Metro for tourism-related developments such as the upgrades in Ebuhlanti, which ensure tourists to our cities enjoy their holidays in hospitable environments.”
Hotelier and hospitality mogul Nomthandazo Mkhazana said the government must act quickly to fix the metro’s tourist accommodation crisis.
Mkhazana, who owns multiple bed-and-breakfasts between Qonce and East London, said the Cricket World Cup would boost the city’s economy.
“We cannot afford to lose this moment and need to avoid comments from tourists that East London lacks capacity.
“I agree with the mayor. The bed-and-breakfast industry nearly collapsed after Covid-19 because about 70% of businesses had to close.”
Mkhazana said new BnBs should be regulated.
“There’s still time to help capable people with converting their homes.
“This should also be regulated because the accommodation should meet international standards, so the government should make sure this accommodation is properly accredited and graded.”
Eastern Cape department of economic development, environmental affairs and tourism spokesperson Ncedo Lisani said: “In preparation for the ICC Cricket World Cup, the department, through its public entity, ECPTA [Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency], will focus on supporting destination readiness and ensuring that the province’s accommodation offering is visible and well-co-ordinated.
“Buffalo City Metro and surrounding areas already have a range of accommodation options, including hotels, guesthouses, lodges and self-catering establishments.
“In addition, the department, through ECPTA , continues to support the growth of homestays, township tourism and community-based accommodation, which expand available capacity while promoting inclusive participation in the tourism economy.
“Major events of this scale generally encourage private sector activation and short-term capacity solutions, including alternative stay platforms and neighbouring town spill-over …
“ECPTA’s role is to ensure that the Eastern Cape’s accommodation offering is well positioned and market ready.
“With the experience gained during the 2010 Fifa World Cup, the tourism sector is well equipped to respond to an event of this magnitude … to showcase the strength and diversity of the Eastern Cape’s tourism offering.”
The tourism and hospitality industry in Buffalo City will benefit from the influx of cricket supporters and we hope that the planned upgrades to King Phalo Airport will accommodate this influx
— Sean Beyers, Border Cricket CEO
BCM’s published zoning scheme regulations regulate bed-and-breakfast and guest house uses, with different requirements depending on how many rooms you let and your property zoning.
If your property is in a residential area, you must apply for a departure (planning permission) or rezoning, depending on the size.
BCM’s policy states you may need letters of no objection from adjoining owners (for certain categories), site plan showing parking and rooms used, and building plans if alterations are made
If you’re serving breakfast, municipal environmental health requirements must also be met.
Commenting on the planned work at Buffalo Park Cricket Stadium, Border Cricket CEO Sean Beyers said the stadium will get a new media centre, scoreboard and brand new floodlights, among other things.
“As soon as we receive the funds, construction will start and must be completed before the start of the next season.
“The tourism and hospitality industry in Buffalo City will benefit from the influx of cricket supporters and we hope that the planned upgrades to King Phalo Airport will accommodate this influx,” said Beyers, adding that airlines may have to increase the number of flights to and from East London.
Daily Dispatch
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