Bed and Breakfast

SA Bed and Breakfasts win praise ahead of 2010 World Cup
25 August 2008
by Michael Williams
MATCH, the company tasked with ensuring the provision of accommodation during the 2010 Soccer World Cup, has praised South African Bed and Breakfast establishments for their diversity and affordability. This is according to news reports issued from Beijing, where several press briefings and forums have been held over the last few days to discuss the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

"South Africa will offer five-star luxury, they will offer game parks, tours and what we call bed and breakfasts. The impression of a bed and breakfast in my youth wasn't always favourable.

"In South Africa it's a completely different option. Those particular premises are often five-star and offer you every luxury you have possibly known in 2010. So, it's the diversity of the options which make South Africa a tremendously affordable and viable competition to all the people around the world wishing to enjoy the World Cup in 2010," Ray Whelan, the Chairman of MATCH said.

Shine 2010 spoke to Tanya Baleson, co-manager of Zimbete Country House in Zululand, KwaZulu-Natal, about Whelan's assessment of the South African Bed and Breakfast industry. Baleson said that South African guesthouses have a good reputation with overseas travelers for their homeliness and personalised service.

"South Africans are very hospitable and friendly in that way. They are very open to inviting people into their homes, and this manifests in the way our guesthouses are run," she said.

Signing a MATCH contract requires that your accommodation establishment is first graded by the Tourism Grading Council. Once this is done and a contract with MATCH is signed the establishment has access to a range of benefits, such as being profiled on FIFA's website (one of the busiest websites in the world).

Find out here how to have your accommodation offering graded by the Tourism Grading Council and accredited by MATCH.