Your next stay should have a built-in crew
When Airbnb first hit the scene, it felt like a revolution: quirky apartments, "live like a local" vibes, and the thrill of not knowing if your host was a world traveller or just a guy with a spare room and a broken toaster.
Fast-forward a few years, and solo travellers and digital nomads know the truth: you’ll end up paying cleaning fees that cost more than your flight, marooned in a residential neighbourhood with zero vibes, and sometimes you feel just as isolated as you would in a hotel (except now you also have to take out the trash).
Or maybe you splurge on a hotel, only to realise your only social interaction is a mildly awkward “good morning” to the breakfast buffet staff. Glamorous? Sure. Soul-filling? Eh, not so much.
Enter co-living: the perfect middle ground between anonymity and adventure. Here’s why so many modern travellers are trading hotel keycards for a set of co-living house keys.
Community, no assembly required
Sure, travelling alone is fun, but sometimes you actually want people around. Not roommates who steal your oat milk, but interesting humans who also think moving across the world for six months on a whim sounds normal.
At an Airbnb, you're responsible for everything from grocery runs to figuring out why the WiFi keeps dropping. You can meet people, but it’s on you to make it happen - and after a 10-hour workday, good luck mustering the energy to “find your tribe.”
Co-living flips the script: you walk in, and the community is already there. Friendly faces who don't just get the nomad life, but are also open invites to dinners, hikes, and spontaneous braais. Think less admin, more actual living.
Live like a (real) local
Your Airbnb host was kind enough to leave you a laminated list of “Top 5 Restaurants in Cape Town” - pity you can’t get a table because every other tourist in the city got the same list. The nice thing about a co-living space is that you get actual insider knowledge, like where to get the best R20 coffee, which surf spots aren’t overrun with influencers, and which farmer’s market is actually worth getting up early for. It's like travelling with built-in besties who just happen to know the city better than Google Maps.
And sure, hotels have daily housekeeping. But do they have fully kitted kitchens where you can actually cook instead of living off room service? Or sunny co-working lounges where you don’t have to battle a wobbly café table for 4 hours?
Work, life, and Wi-Fi balance
There’s no panic like the panic of realising your “strong Wi-Fi” Airbnb can barely load a Google Doc. Since co-living is designed for digital nomads, you get fibre internet, comfortable workspaces, and chill lounges that won’t judge your third coffee of the morning.
Work mode: engaged. Stress mode: disabled.
Compare that to the average hotel "business centre" (basically a sad desk near the toilets) and it's not even a contest.
Pretty spaces that are also pretty cool
An Airbnb can be gorgeous, but it’s still just four walls and some stylish throw pillows. No built-in vibe. No events. No serendipitous Sunday brunch invites.
Neighbourgood’s co-living spaces, on the other hand, feel like home plus everything you wish your home had, like:
Braais with new friends
Shared kitchens that aren't passive-aggressively labelled
Spontaneous collaborations, ideas, and connections
Opportunities to join in on community events
It’s home, but better (plus zero weird landlord energy, guaranteed).
Why settle for a key when you can have a crew?
Co-living with Neighbourgood isn’t just about having a place to sleep, it’s about finding a place to be. It’s where work and life actually balance, where neighbours aren’t strangers, and where you get stories, adventures, and memories, not just receipts.
So next time you're planning your move to Cape Town (or beyond), skip the lonely Airbnbs. Come live the Neighbourgood life instead.