Your commission is being stolen

Stop handing R155
of every R1,000
to Airbnb.

Every booking. Every month. Every year. That's your money — handed to a tech company that doesn't clean your rooms, doesn't host your guests, and doesn't care about your business.

See How Much You're Losing → The Fix
Luxury accommodation
OTA Commission Drain
Airbnb 15.5%
Booking.com 15–25%
Your Own Site
0%
Zero commission — always
Est. Annual Saving
R167,400
At R1,500/night · 20 bookings/mo
scroll
The Cold Hard Truth

The platforms aren't your partners. They're your landlords.

15.5%
Airbnb's new standard rate. As of December 2025, every host pays this flat fee. No exceptions. No loyalty rewards. No matter how long you've been on the platform.
25%
Booking.com's maximum commission. Want better search visibility? Pay more. Their Preferred Partner programme can push your cost up to a quarter of every booking.
55%
Of all accommodation bookings go through third-party platforms globally. More than half your income is passing through someone else's system — and they're taking a cut of every single one.

"If you list a room for R1,000 per night and close 20 bookings a month, Airbnb alone takes R3,100 every month from you. That's R37,200 a year — gone. And they didn't once change a single bedsheet."

— The math your accountant wants you to see

Commission Reality Check

What they
actually charge

These are the real commission rates from Airbnb and Booking.com — confirmed by their own partner pages and independent industry research.

The real problem

These fees come off the top on every booking. No matter how long you've been on the platform. No matter how many 5-star reviews you have. There is no loyalty discount. There is no loyalty at all.

Sources: Airbnb Partner Resources (2025), Booking.com for Partners, SiteMinder, PriceLabs.
Rates shown as percentage of gross booking value.

Airbnb 15.5%

Standard rate — all hosts, from December 2025

Booking.com — Standard 15%

Base rate for most accommodation types

Booking.com — Preferred Partner 25%

More visibility costs you more commission

Your Own Booking Site 0%

Zero commission — you keep every Rand

Your Real Numbers

How much are you losing right now?

Enter your property numbers. See exactly what the platforms take — and what you'd keep with a direct booking site. All figures in ZAR (R) and Namibian Dollar (N$).

Your Property Numbers
Adjust the sliders to match your situation
R / N$
115304560
1 night7 nights14 nights
Monthly Revenue
R90,000
Annual Revenue
R1,080,000
What Gets Taken From You
Per month & per year, at your numbers
Airbnb — 15.5% Monthly · Annual
R13,950
R167,400 per year
Booking.com — 15% Monthly · Annual
R13,500
R162,000 per year
Booking.com Preferred — 25% Monthly · Annual
R22,500
R270,000 per year
Your Own Booking Site Monthly · Annual
R0
R0 per year
You could keep this much per year
R167,400
Estimated annual saving vs Airbnb at 15.5%
Applies equally in ZAR (R) and Namibian Dollar (N$)

* Based on direct bookings replacing Airbnb at 15.5%. R and N$ are pegged at 1:1 parity.

Airbnb Annual Commission
R167,400
N$167,400 gone — every year
Booking.com Annual Commission
R162,000
N$162,000 — also gone
Your Own Site — Annual Cost
R0
Zero commission. You keep everything.

Based on R1,500/night · 20 bookings/month · 3 nights average stay

The Long Game

What commission costs you over 5 years

The per-year figures are painful. The cumulative picture is worse. This is how much you hand over in total — at your numbers — if nothing changes.

Airbnb 15.5% Booking.com 25% Your Own Site
End of Year 1
—
End of Year 3
—
End of Year 5
—
5-Year Saving vs Airbnb
—

Based on your calculator inputs. Updates live as you adjust the calculator above.

What the Research Shows

Your guests want to book direct.
They just can't find you.

Here's what the data says about how people actually search for and book accommodation.

73%
of travellers say they would book directly with a property if they could find a cheaper or comparable price — without going through a third-party platform.
Hotelagio Travel Research, 2025
42%
of people who book accommodation online say they search specifically to find a cheaper deal. Almost half your potential guests are actively looking for a better price right now.
Statista / Perk Travel Booking Report, 2025
27%
of all travel bookings globally are already made directly on accommodation websites. Direct booking works — and guests are already willing to use it.
Stratos Jet Charters Travel Data, 2024
150%
growth in direct booking platforms since 2019. More accommodation owners are going direct because it's working. Don't be the last one still paying commission.
Hotelagio Travel Report, 2025
Where accommodation bookings come from — today vs 2028
Today (2024)
OTA Platforms 73% Direct Booking 27%
→
2028 Projection
OTA Platforms 60% Direct Booking 40%

Source: Navan Travel Booking Report 2025, Stratos Jet Charters Travel Data 2024. Direct booking share defined as bookings made on accommodation-owned websites or channels.

40%
of all accommodation bookings are expected to come through direct channels by 2028.
The shift is already happening. The owners who build their own booking site now will own that traffic. The ones who wait will still be paying 15–25% commission while their competitors keep the full amount.
Navan Travel Booking Report, 2025
Side By Side

Airbnb vs Booking.com
vs Your Own Site

Airbnb Booking.com eVolvence Site
Commission per booking 15.5% 15–25% 0%
You control the guest relationship ✕ ✕ ✓
Can offer direct discounts to guests ✕ ✕ ✓
You own the guest's contact details ✕ ✕ ✓
Your brand, your design ✕ ✕ ✓
Your rules, your policies Limited Limited ✓
Risk of account suspension High risk High risk None
Can build repeat guest loyalty ✕ ✕ ✓
Platform can change rules overnight Anytime Anytime Never
Payments go direct to your account Delayed Delayed ✓
The Fix Is Simpler Than You Think

A booking site that's
yours. Forever.

eVolvence Systems builds you a professional booking website — built for your property, your brand, your guests. No monthly commission. No platform rules. No surprises on your invoice.

You've already done the hard work — setting up your place, hosting guests, building good reviews. Now it's time to stop handing a cut of your income to a tech platform and start building something you own.

Start Keeping More →
  • ✓
    Custom Design — Built for Your Property
    Your photos, your brand, your story. Not a generic template that looks like everyone else's listing.
  • ✓
    Online Booking Calendar & Availability
    Guests can check dates, see availability, and book — all without leaving your site or paying platform fees.
  • ✓
    Secure Online Payments
    Accept card payments and EFT direct to your account. No delays. No holding periods. Your money, fast.
  • ✓
    Guest Contact Details — Yours to Keep
    Every guest that books direct is a contact you can market to again. Build repeat bookings over time.
  • ✓
    Mobile-Ready on Every Device
    60% of accommodation searches happen on mobile. Your site will look great and book seamlessly on any screen.
  • ✓
    Works With or Without OTAs
    You don't have to leave Airbnb or Booking.com. You just stop being 100% dependent on them. The direct channel is yours — and it's free of commission.
What This Looks Like For You

Imagine your next 12 months

This isn't a dream. It's the direct result of capturing even a portion of your bookings directly — starting now.

You Keep the Full Amount
R1,000 charged. R1,000 received. No platform taking their slice. What used to go to Airbnb every month stays in your account — every single month.
Guests Come Back to You
Guests who loved their stay rebook directly on your site. No going back to Booking.com. No new commission. You build real relationships — and real repeat business.
No More Platform Anxiety
No fear of your Airbnb account being flagged. No rule changes that affect your income overnight. You're in control of your bookings, your money, and your business.
Your Business Grows Year on Year
Every direct booking is money compounding in your pocket. Over 3 years, even capturing 30% of bookings directly can save you hundreds of thousands of Rands.
Offer Guests a Reason to Book Direct
Give guests 5–10% off for booking your site. They save. You save even more. Everybody wins — except the platforms. That's exactly the point.
A Real Business — Not a Side Hustle
A proper website with your logo, your rooms, your rates. When guests Google your property name, they find you first — not someone else's platform with a booking fee.

🇿🇦 Built for South African & Namibian accommodation owners  ·  ZAR (R) & Namibian Dollar (N$)  ·  Custom built — not a DIY template  ·  0% Commission. Always.

You've seen the numbers

Stop paying commission
to people who do nothing for you.

Get your own booking website. Keep every Rand. Own your guests. Build a business that's actually yours.

Let's Build Your Site → See My Savings

No commissions. No monthly platform fees. Your site, your bookings, your money.
eVolvence Systems — built for Southern African accommodation owners.