Zimabli Bookings not reputable at all They cancel my booking and then don't REFUND

I made a booking and paid in full to Zimbali Bookings for 1 A Balata for a stay in on 8th January 2026 out on 12th January 2026. On the 2nd of January I received a whatsup from Zimbali bookings stating they will not be honouring this booking and I should change my dates or get On the 6th of January Zimabli bookings responded to my request for my refund stating The owner made the payment on Sunday; however, when I checked yesterday, it had not yet cleared. I will wait for confirmation from the accounts team today. If it has cleared, I will send through your details for the refund and will share the proof of payment with you.Pearl  Mthimkhulu Today is the 30th and I have not been able to get hold of Zimabli Bookingsneither have I been refunded. This is the message received on the 2nd of JAN Good day Ishana,

I hope you are well, and Happy New Year 🌸

I wanted to update you regarding the villa you booked, 1A Balata. Unfortunately, we’ve been experiencing ongoing challenges with the owner, and the condition of the house has deteriorated more than expected. We initially believed the necessary fixes would be resolved, but this has not happened.

You’ve paid a significant amount for your accommodation, and I would hate for you to arrive and have a disappointing or stressful experience. For this reason, we’ve decided to temporarily remove this property from our listings until the owner resolves both the maintenance issues and overall management of the house.

Your Options To make this as easy as possible for you, we’d like to offer you two options:

Option 1: Full Refund We can refund your full amount should you prefer not to proceed.

Option 2: Alternative Villa (Same Rate to You) The only villa we currently have available for your dates (as most others only become available from the 11th) is:

Phezulu Villas 2 – Zimbali Estate 8 Guests | 4 Bedrooms | 4 Bathrooms

Please note that this villa is normally priced higher. However, if you’re happy to proceed with this option, we will use your damage protection amount to cover the difference, meaning you will pay no extra cost. We won’t earn any commission on this booking, but given the inconvenience caused to you, we feel it’s the right thing to do and want to assist as best we can.

You can view the villa here: https://m.zimbalibookings.co.za/phezulu-villas-2/

Please let me know how you’d like to proceed, and I’ll take care of everything from my side.

Kind regards,