With the dreary winter weather and rising costs in the Netherlands, it can be tempting to escape until the sunshine returns. For many, this has become a reality rather than wishful thinking as more and more Dutch residents who work remotely spend their winters in Cape Town where the accommodation is affordable and the sun shines brightly.
Cape Town has seen not just a growing number of tourists from the Netherlands, but also a rise in people working remotely. According to NOS, more than 37.000 Dutch residents visited the South African city between January and March - up 10 percent from 2023.
While it is hard to say exactly how many of these visitors were digital nomads, guest houses have noticed an increasing number of remote workers staying at their accommodation. "It's especially busy here in January and February with people working remotely," said Dutch Emmelie Steentjes, who owns a guest house in Cape Town.
These digital nomads prefer to spend the Dutch winter in South Africa because there is better weather and it is more affordable as the euro is a stronger currency than the rand. "It is summer here now. Moreover, the city has almost the same time zone as the Netherlands, which makes working remotely easier,” Lucas Hermsen, a worker at a Netherlands-based company told NOS. “I work quite a few hours, but at the same time I can go to the beach after work for sunset and hike or surf on the weekend."
The South African city launched the "Choose Cape Town" campaign last year to attract tourists to enjoy the region’s many wonderful activities, from wine tasting to ocean adventures. With over 200 international flights arriving at the city airport each week, it’s safe to say the campaign is a success, which is good for employment and the economy.
It’s also great for workers from the Netherlands. "You can live a five-star life for a three-star budget. I think that everything except rent is about half the price of the Netherlands," said Steentjes. This and exposure on social media are drawing in more Dutch remote workers. "Also a lot of Amsterdammers. It's probably because of social media, where people see it from each other. They infect each other," claims Hermsen.
However, the outcome isn’t purely advantageous for Cape Town as more tourists result in more expensive housing costs for locals, creating a similar housing crisis as experienced in Amsterdam and other Dutch cities. "Rents are going up because there is so much demand and the foreigners have more money to spend than we do," states Querida Saal, a DAG researcher advocating for more affordable housing in Cape Town city centre.
"We are not against digital nomads and we also see the economic advantage of it," continues Saal. "But the action must come from the municipality, which must look more at developing social housing in the city." There is also a call to restrict the number of Airbnbs in Cape Town. "I think that's a good idea. It might be harder for us, but it's more sustainable in the long run," said Hermsen.