More Africans get cats, dogs as disposable income grows

At Karura Forest, one of Nairobi’s lushest spots for weekend walks, the number of dogs padding down the trails has swelled, observed Servita Verma, who routinely walks her terrier, Chali, there.

Verma used to stroll for more than an hour on most weekday mornings, the quieter days, and only encountered a handful of fellow dog owners.

 “Now,” she said, adjusting Chali’s leash, “You hear barks all through the trail. There’s always a husky or a Chow Chow ahead of us, or a Shih Tzu sniffing through the bushes.”

The park was fiercely defended by the late Nobel Peace laureate Prof Wangari Maathai against encroachment by developers, and pet owners are unlikely beneficiaries.

On weekends, the park often turns into a pageantry of dog breeds: shaggy Komondors, puffy Pomeranians, Dobermans and stern-faced Rottweilers, trotting beside joggers and families.

Across Africa, pet ownership is rising, fuelled by changing attitudes around pet ownership and increasing disposable incomes.

As household earnings grow, the continent’s middle class is expanding, with 21 countries projected to achieve economic growth exceeding 5 per cent in 2025, according to the African Development Bank.

Overall, Africa’s economy is expected to rise from 3.3 per cent in 2024 to 3.9 per cent in 2025, reaching 4 per cent in 2026. This financial shift is driving higher consumer spending, with more Africans investing in pet care products and services.

Africa’s middle and upper-middle income segments are growing, with 21 countries now classified as lower-middle-income and eight, including Botswana, Namibia and South Africa, falling into the upper-middle-income bracket, according to World Bank data.

But growth in disposable household income is uneven, with economic shocks slowing progress in countries like Nigeria, where the cost of goods and services has surged in late 2023, following fuel subsidy cuts and a sharp currency devaluation.

Nonetheless, in that populous market, as in many parts of Africa, as more households come into money, pet ownership is becoming part of middle-class life, especially in cities.

Tellingly, the continent’s pet food market is projected to grow at an annual rate of 12.28 per cent in four years, outpacing global averages. In Kenya alone, pet owners spend between Sh2,200 and Sh3,000 on a 5kg bag of organic food.

The shift is visible in major cities like Lagos, Johannesburg, Cairo and Accra, where middle-class families are embracing pets.

More rescue and animal therapy centres are opening in major cities, reflecting a growing view of dogs as companions rather than security assets, and a willingness among owners to adopt rather than buy.

Beyond the continent, pet ownership is also increasing, notably in millennial and Gen Z households. Buenos Aires, Argentina is said to be the pet capital of the world, with figures from public opinion surveys showing that nearly 80 per cent of the city’s households own a pet. That’s 20 per cent higher than the pet ownership rate in the average city in the United States, according to the Associated Press. 

Within Africa, cats, too, are part of the pet boom, with South Africa alone having 2 million domestic kitties and more than 7.4 million dogs, with feline-related spending expected to keep climbing.

Statista figures show that South Africa’s pet food market amounted to $596 million (Sh77 billion) in revenue in 2025 as of March, with an annual growth rate of 12.20 per cent (CAGR 2025-2030).

In global comparison, however, the United States led the market, generating $62 billion (Sh8 trillion) in revenue in 2025 in the review period.

Per capita spending on pet food in South Africa was $9.21 in 2025, reflecting the increasing prioritisation of pet nutrition among consumers.

Amazon has also expanded its South African operations to include pet food and other related supplies, recognising the market’s potential.

In Egypt, the pet care market has seen steady growth despite economic challenges, with dry dog food remaining the dominant category and local brands gaining market share due to import restrictions.

The trend of pet humanisation continues to drive demand for premium products, while retail e-commerce is emerging as the fastest-growing sales channel.

Meanwhile, Kenya and Nigeria trail South Africa in spending but are catching up quickly. Nairobi alone has seen a surge in high-end pet shops, dog grooming vans and vet clinics that now offer tooth scaling and flea shampoos.

Kenya’s market is not yet as mature as South Africa’s, but it is picking up pace. In Johannesburg and Cape Town, demand is already diversified. Veterinary diets, cat-specific foods and senior pet formulas are widely available.

At Petzone in Westlands, a popular Nairobi suburb, 2kg bags of grain-free salmon kibble sit alongside imported cat pâtés and probiotic chew sticks.

Nigeria, where dog food imports dropped significantly last year, is increasingly leaning on domestic alternatives. Yet demand hasn’t eased, with nearly half of urban Nigerian households now reporting owning a pet, according to recent consumer data.

Reuters’ recent analysis shows that Nigeria’s pet market has been affected by rising costs, with inflation reaching 34.80 per cent last December before easing to 23.71 per cent in April.

A 2023 survey by research agency TGM Statbox found that around 42 per cent of Nigerians owned pets, but feeding them has become increasingly expensive.

The price of a 15kg bag of dog food rose from 40,000 to 70,000 Naira (Sh3,340 to 5,845), matching the country’s minimum monthly wage. Pet food imports are also declining, expected to drop from 1.3 million kg in 2023 to 769,000kg by 2028, while local pet food producers are seeing higher demand.

In Nigeria, however, inflation and currency pressures have pushed many households to adjust, with some turning to local pet food alternatives as costs rise.

Local entrepreneurs are swiftly responding to the opportunity in pet food, with players such as South Africa’s Afrique Pet Food, founded in 2003, ramping up production.

Africa for Investors, a matchmaking portal linking global investors to opportunities on the continent, points to pet food as one of the most lucrative yet least exploited business ventures.

“Africa’s rich agricultural and livestock resources create a unique opportunity for the pet food business” it noted.

“With locally sourced ingredients like maize, sorghum and high-quality meats, you can produce nutritious pet food for dogs and cats, while tapping into a growing market.”