Global accommodation bookings platform Airbnb is expected to double its bookings to 80 million in 2015, according to an exclusive report published by Reuters this week.

The news agency quoted anonymous investors familiar with the company's performance as claiming that growth will either continue or accelerate.

Although no information is available on nightly bookings, Airbnb claims it has more than 1.5million listings in more than 34,000 cities in 190 countries, according to Reuters.

In July Airbnb launched in South Africa, the company's largest market in Africa, with 9,400 homes listed on the platform.

Two months since its launch the company claims it has close to 11 000 properties listed and, according to CEO Brian Chesky, it has seen a 225% increase in the number of people using the service in South Africa over the last 12 months.

This is up from the figure of 163% as reported at the company's launch. Cape Town and Johannesburg are said to be among five of the largest markets on the continent.

Chesky says the company will establish a team to focus on South Africa in order to manage growth. "The first step for this team will be meeting with our host community to hear about their experiences and gather their feedback on local factors we need to factor into our growth plans."

Apart from South Africa, Airbnb has identified Kenya and Morocco in its short term plans.

Looking ahead Chesky says the company expects to see continued strong growth on the continent and is lolling at establishing local partnerships and marketing initiatives. "We will also consider what changes we can make from a product perspective to reflect local requirements."