SOUTH Africans love their cats and dogs, and so do many of the country’s most popular hosts on Airbnb.
Rather than leave your cat or dog at a kennel over your next holiday, why not look for accommodation at one of the 3 300 pet-friendly South African homes on Airbnb and take them with?
Worldwide, nearly a quarter (22.6%) of Airbnb establishments describe themselves as pet-friendly.
Home to 0.5% of the world’s active pet-friendly Airbnb listings, South Africa is ranked number 32 by share of the world’s pet-friendly listings.
Oudtshoorn is the most pet-friendly Airbnb city in South Africa, with 31% of its hosts welcoming pets. The Free State is the most pet-friendly province, followed closely by the Eastern Cape and the Northern Cape.
Some other interesting facts and stats about Airbnb hosts and pets:
· Animals are welcome at Airbnb listings in more than 20 South African towns and cities, including the Durban, Cape Town and Jo’burg metropolitan areas.
· Swellendam is the second most-friendly city in South Africa with 30% of hosts welcoming pets; third is Kruisfontein with 28%.
· 46% of active hosts in Pietermaritzburg have dogs, the most of any city. Oudtshoorn and Swellendam follow with 30%.
· 24% of Airbnb listings in Pietermaritzburg and Swellendam have cats.
· With an astonishing 109 108 pet-friendly listings and a 16% share of pet-friendly Airbnb listings, Italy is most hospitable country for people travelling with pets.
· Next up is the US, with 92 000 pet-friendly listings and France with nearly 80 000.
How can you tell if a listing is pet-friendly?
1. If you want to see if a space would allow you to bring a pet on your trip, you can check the Amenities section of the listing description on airbnb.com
2. You may need to ask the host which pets are allowed – some hosts may only accommodate cats or only accommodate dogs.