How It All Started

Sustainable Stays was founded by a trio of sustainability property and infrastructure professionals who love to share Cape Town with visitors from near and far. Sustainable Stays describes our aspiration for your experience: that you will come to love this city as we do, returning again and again to enjoy its many facets, while doing so with sustainability in mind.

At the heart of our ethos is a desire to do good for people and planet. We source local wherever possible, showcasing SA’s creativity and incredible array of artisanal products. All of our properties are on a green journey, starting with energy and water efficiency. As part of our climate change response, we measure and manage our portfolio’s carbon footprint.

Crafting A Purposeful Path Aligned With Context And Industry

Sustainability is a multifaceted concept with various nuances that depend on the location, industry, and goals of an organization. At our accommodation, we are committed to continuously developing and embarking on a sustainability journey that is carefully tailored to our specific industry and operational context while remaining regionally appropriate.

To us, sustainability encompasses both environmental and social aspects.

Our Environmental Sustainability Journey

We align ourselves with industry best practices, drawing insights from the Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s Industry Criteria and other global standards. While not all of these criteria are currently applicable to our portfolio, we regularly assess their relevance and implement them wherever feasible within our units and operations.

South Africa’s economy is characterized by a high carbon footprint, with the production of each megawatt hour of grid electricity generating nearly 1 ton of greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, the region faces water scarcity, utilizing all available freshwater resources and periodically experiencing drought. Consequently, energy and water efficiency are paramount on our sustainability journey. Moreover, we acknowledge the environmental and socioeconomic implications throughout our value chain and prioritize sourcing from local suppliers whenever possible.

Our Social Sustainability Journey

We are committed to three pillars of social sustainability:

1. Economic upliftment: We embrace Sustainable Development Goal 8: decent work and economic growth. Recognizing the high unemployment rate in South Africa, particularly among less skilled workers, we strive to support inclusive growth and a just transition. We achieve this by partnering with local SMEs and creating decent work opportunities for our staff, many of whom were previously unemployed. Additionally, we contribute to vulnerable communities indirectly through the carbon projects from which we procure offsets.

2. Gender equity: We support the 2X Challenge, which aims to unlock economic opportunities for women. As a woman-owned business, we are dedicated to creating job opportunities for women of all skills. We understand the unique economic and social challenges that women face, often having to balance multiple roles while earning a living.

3. Freedom from discrimination and violence: We prioritize the safety and security of our guests, staff, and other residents in the apartment blocks we occupy. All our apartments are equipped with smart locks that provide unique codes to each guest. This eliminates the risks associated with lost or misplaced keys, mitigating the potential for theft or intrusion. Similarly, we require our guests to accept terms and conditions that safeguard our values and prioritize the security of our staff and other residents.

About Us