Cabana: the zero-commission travel super-app for Africa

About Cabana

Cabana is a zero-commission travel super-app built in Nairobi, Kenya. Travellers book stays, safaris and tours, flights, events, rides, car hire and food in one app, and pay with M-Pesa, mobile money, card or bank transfer. Hosts, guides, drivers and restaurants keep 100% of the price they set. Guests see one small facilitation fee before they pay, and nothing is added after.

Cabana also runs Cabana Match, where a traveller posts what they need and verified providers reply with offers, and APA, an in-app travel assistant. Cabana has pledged 10% of net revenue to community development in Africa.

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At a glance

Fact sheet

Why it matters

• Hosts keep what they earn. Large booking platforms take a share of every booking. Cabana takes none from the host or operator, so the money stays with the person who did the work.
• Built around how Africa pays. M-Pesa, MTN MoMo and Airtel Money are first-class payment methods, not an add-on. In markets where cards are uncommon, this decides whether a booking completes.
• One account for the whole trip. A traveller can book the apartment, the safari, the airport transfer and dinner in one place, from operators who set their own prices.
• Offers come to the traveller. With Cabana Match, a traveller describes the trip once and verified providers respond with offers they can compare.
• Local operators, visible worldwide. Guides, drivers, small hotels and restaurants get a storefront and direct bookings without paying for visibility.

Commission comparison

Published rates from each platform's own terms. They vary by market, plan and date, so please check current terms before quoting.

• Airbnb: split-fee model with about 3% from the host and a guest service fee on top; or a host-only fee of around 15%.
• Booking.com: commission from the property, typically 15% to 25%.
• Expedia and Hotels.com: commission from the property, typically 15% to 25%.
• Cabana: 0% from the host or operator.

Worked example: an apartment priced at KES 10,000 a night and booked for 20 nights in a month earns KES 200,000 before fees.

• With a 15% commission, the host keeps KES 170,000.
• With a 25% commission, the host keeps KES 150,000.
• On Cabana, the host keeps KES 200,000.

Cabana Match

Most travel sites work the same way: the traveller searches, compares and books, and the host waits to be found. Cabana Match turns that around. A traveller posts what they need: destination, dates, group size and budget. Verified hosts and operators respond with offers, and the traveller chooses the one they like. Payment is protected until check-in on stays.

Story angles

• What happens to host income when a travel platform charges no commission.
• Mobile money as the default way to book: how M-Pesa changes who can sell travel.
• Reverse booking: why travellers in Africa are posting the trip and letting offers arrive.
• Small operators going direct: guides, drivers and guesthouses selling without a middleman.
• Building a travel company in Nairobi for the whole continent.

For interviews, data requests or a demo, write to the press desk below.

Media contacts

Brand assets

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Read more

• Cabana and Airbnb: fees and features side by side
• Airbnb alternatives in Africa
• Zero-commission vacation rentals in Africa
• Cabana Match explained
• Destinations
• List on Cabana
• Cabana Ambassadors, Creators and Agents
• Work with Cabana