Pet ownership and spending in South Africa have risen rapidly in recent years, thanks partly to the Covid-19 pandemic.
This increase in spending has resulted in an arms race among supermarkets as they attempt to tap into this burgeoning sector, which in 2021 was estimated to be worth R7.1 billion.
Much of this expansion in pet-related businesses has been on a retail level - but competing for shelf space is often complicated and costly for small or first-time business owners.
If all you want is to run a small service-oriented business that includes daily pet interactions, a mobile dog or cat grooming franchise may be worth considering.
There's no shortage of comparatively cheap franchisors looking for new partners in this sector, some seemingly more reliable and with better support and infrastructure than others.
Divine Pooches is a mobile cat and dog grooming service that started in Johannesburg and offers clients a range of services, including bathing, nail clipping, grooming, and flea dipping.
The business is also available to franchisees who wish to buy into the Divine Pooches model. According to the Divine Pooches website, the company has grown significantly in recent years. As such, they can't accommodate all franchise requests - but they will entertain requests on their website.
The company says franchisees and its staff members must love animals and demonstrate "empathy, gentleness and confidence" when working with them. They offer four weeks of training before franchisees can commence trading.
Divine Pooches costs: A new Divine Pooches franchise costs R265,000 up front, with ongoing management fees of 12%.
Ultimate Pet Care is a mobile pet grooming business that started with one trailer in 2012. It has at least 60 mobile grooming trailers throughout South Africa.
The mobile grooming business offers pet owners a range of services, which they conduct in mobile units. These units include baths with hot water, electric clippers, dryers, and a grooming table.
Unsurprisingly, they, too, place a strong emphasis on franchise owners being pet lovers. They're actively recruiting new franchisees via a standalone portal on their website and hope to more than double their unit numbers in the coming months.
Ultimate Pet Care costs: A new Ultimate Pet Care franchise requires a minimum upfront payment of R230,000. The business does not disclose ongoing marketing or management fees before signing a non-disclosure agreement (NDA).
Dip & Snip is a mobile dog grooming franchise founded in Pretoria. They offer at-home pet grooming services with warm water washes from a mobile trailer. They also sell and deliver pet products and have pet sitting services available.
They offer franchisees all equipment and training needed to open their own mobile dog grooming business and provide ongoing marketing and management assistance. They require franchisees to have a basic understanding and appreciation for animals.
Dip & Snip costs: A new Dip & Snip franchise unit costs R140,000, which requires a two- to three-month lead time. Franchisees will sign an initial one-year contract and pay a monthly flat fee of R2,500, which increases by 10% each year.
Dandy Dogs is a mobile dog grooming business based primarily in Gauteng, with its roots as one of South Africa's first units of its kind in 1997.
The business offers customers a range of cat and dog services at customers' homes, including warm shampoo washes, ear cleans, nail clipping, and hand blow drys. Their mobile grooming parlours accommodate all dog sizes.
Dandy Dogs costs:Franchisees are reportedly able to buy into the business for an average setup cost of R250,000, which includes a mobile grooming trailer. Once purchased, franchisees must pay monthly management fees of R3,500 and a marketing fee of R1,500 per month - with the initial agreement lasting ten years.