Whether you are going to South Africa for a short visit or for a more permanent stay, there are certain regulations that must be followed before you will be allowed to bring in your pet. Cats are exempted from having to go through a quarantine period but it’s a different matter for dogs and other animals.
Dogs from India, Mexico, Brazil, Japan, China, Korea, and the UAE have to stay in quarantine for 2 weeks. Other requirements would be a current rabies vaccination that isn’t close to its 12th month, and the need to secure an import permit. This permit can be applied through the Directorate of Animal Health in South Africa. For pets being brought in from neighbouring countries, they will need an additional document, the Movement Permit. This document is issued by the government agency in the respective country of origin. Other documents are:
- Health Clearance
- Blood test
- And shipment via air and fully recorded in the Manifest cargo
The best way to handle bringing your pet to South Africa would be to use a South African company that specializes in this kind of service. But keep in mind that the country is not as liberal as in the U.S. and many other places where pets are allowed inside malls and restaurants. While there are now more pet friendly places in South Africa, most large hotels will frown on pets.
Pet Friendly Places in South Africa
There are many exciting places to go to that are pet friendly. Here is a list of the top 5 restaurants that adore pets and welcome them with open arms. There is one rule: the pets have to be trained not to “mess” inside the restaurant.
- Pastis Bistro Brasserie in Constantia Valley
- Moyo Fountains in Pretoria
- Sandown Blues in Hermanus
- Rhodes Memorial Restaurant in Table Mountain National Park
- Moyo Zoo Lake in Johannesburg
Top Pet Friendly Dog Parks where off-leash is allowed and even encouraged
- De Waal Park in Cape Town
- ECHO Dog Park in Johannesburg
If you would like to go swimming with your pet dog, you can drive down to uShaka Beach in Durban. Every establishment on the beach front is open to pets. For now, there is only one place where you can go shopping with your pet dog in South Africa. This is the Shongweni Farmer’s Market in Durban. What’s fun about this market is that the vendors have a little surprise for dogs in the form of bones to chew – for free!
Now if you’re going to be bringing your pets around for the entire South Africa to see, it’s important to take care of grooming your pet. South Africa has a wonderful line-up of pet grooming services in every city. If not, you can do it yourself. Basically, all you need is getting your pet to look as presentable and clean as possible. You may even think about dressing them up with some fancy shirts or even some nice booties.