As South Africa heads towards its busy summer tourism season, hotels, lodges, resorts and guesthouses have reason to be optimistic if recent figures are anything to go by. International tourist arrivals rose by 12.8% between January and May 2026, with arrivals from the rest of Africa up 14.7% and Europe 11.1%.¹
More visitors mean more business for accommodation service providers, but along with the good news comes a less welcome reality: rising input costs. FEDHASA (Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa) recently cautioned operators to plan carefully for these², and that squeeze is only being made tighter by broader economic pressures.
Water and electricity are two input costs that have been increasing significantly ahead of wages and food. Producer prices for both rose 12.5% year-on-year in April 2026², adding further pressure on establishments already looking to run leaner operations. But efficiency cannot come at the expense of cleanliness. This was highlighted in a 2024 study commissioned by the Department of Tourism, where 92.7% of respondents rated hygiene and cleanliness standards as ‘very important’ criteria for South Africa’s tourism accommodation grading system.?
So, with demand growing and utilities costing more, are there less obvious opportunities to operate more economically without compromising guest experience?
One of the answers may be hiding in the laundry cupboard.
“Laundry is hardly a glamorous part of hospitality, easy to overlook because…
CLICK HERE to read the FULL Rising Hospitality Costs: Where Might Inefficiencies Be Hiding? article.
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