World Cup prices slashed

Greedy accommodation owners in South Africa have slashed their rates during the World Cup after discovering that few fans were prepared to pay the grossly inflated prices they were charging a few weeks ago.

Tour operator Fleewinter said that in some cases prices had been cut by almost £1,800 a night for a large villa or apartment.

Managing director Alisdair Luxmoore said he had tried to warn accommodation owners they were asking too much during the World Cup, which starts in early June, but they had refused to listen.

Now, as the tournament draws ever nearer, I have never seen so much humble pie being swallowed and prices are coming down to a much more affordable level, he said.

He said a six-bedroom, two-pool house on the slopes of Table Mountain near Cape Town, one of the venues for the World Cup, had been reduced from £3,537 per day to £1,768 per day, for a minimum stay of five nights. Though still pricey, the house would make a cheaper option than a hotel if booked by a group of 12.

A five-night stay at an eight-bedroom mansion, which sleeps 18, now costs £8,840 from an original asking price of £17,685. This works out at £492 per person when fully occupied.

Fleewinter said it had lots of properties in Cape Town available for the World Cup; many are within walking distance of Green Point Stadium where England will play Algeria on 18 June.

As World Cup matches will be played right across South Africa fans are being advised to base themselves in Cape Town, one of the most cosmopolitan cities with the most accommodation.

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