Reflecting on the Effects of Disruptive Innovation in South Africa's Accommodation Subsector: A Focus on Emerging Black-Owned Businesses

Abstract

South Africa's tourism industry has experienced significant changes since 1994. These changes have been propelled by the government's developmental policies with the aim being to redress the imbalances of past racial injustices. The tourism and hospitality industries remain dominated by white-owned enterprises as well as by large and well-established international brands. In light of this narrative, this paper reflects on how the ever-growing online dominion offers palpable opportunities to deal with the ongoing struggles faced by existing and emerging black-owned small tourism businesses in South Africa. Specifically, the paper reviews key literature on disruptive innovation in the sharing accommodation economy. An important take from the literature is that for emerging black-owned accommodation ventures to succeed in the digital era, there needs to be a strategic shift in how they understand new market trends in the industry. The latter is imperative for their success and sustainability in a postpandemic world.