SA pet friendly Airbnb listings rank 32 in the world

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.

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