atFrits Celebrates 10 Years as South Africa’s First Dog Hotel

atFrits Dog Hotel & Daycare Centre, the first five-star dog hotel in Africa, is proudly celebrating its 10th anniversary. 

Launched in Cape Town on 1 December 2015, this once-novel concept has evolved into a thriving pet hospitality business that has cared for hundreds of thousands of canine guests – over 370,000 dog stays in the past decade.

The dog hotel and daycare concept was unprecedented in South Africa at its inception, yet it quickly gained popularity, achieving 90% year-round occupancy in its early years. 

Today, atFrits’ journey from a bold startup to an internationally acclaimed pet hotel stands as a testament to entrepreneurial vision and the growing “fur baby” culture in the country.

When founder Yanic Klue first envisioned atFrits, the idea of a luxury hotel for dogs in South Africa was virtually unheard of. In fact, Klue’s inspiration came in 2010 after she encountered a dog hotel in the United States and “knew that I had to do this in Mzansi,” she recalls. 

She spent the next five years meticulously planning and developing the concept.  The venture even required forward-thinking support from local authorities – the City of Cape Town approved the atFrits concept in late 2015, paving the way for its launch.

Opening as Cape Town’s first five-star dog hotel with features like private themed suites, a grooming spa, and 24/7 webcam monitoring for pet parents (did someone say Petflix?), atFrits quickly attracted attention and acclaim.

“We were the first dog hotel on the African continent. What makes us unique, we’re like a one-stop shop for dogs,” Klue explains, noting that atFrits offers everything from daycare and overnight boarding to physiotherapy.

Pet owners responded enthusiastically, filling the hotel and validating Klue’s belief that South Africans “want the best for their pets” and are waiting for a reliable, high-quality care option. 

“People often assume atFrits is a hotel for the rich and famous,” says Klue, “and while we have a few celebrity pups among our guests, that’s never been our purpose. atFrits was created for anyone who loves their dog and needs reliable care when life gets demanding. We don’t see status, background, or bank balance; we simply see dogs.

“Whether it’s the pet of a well-known client or a rescue staying for a short while, every dog receives the same love and attention, provided they’re fully vaccinated and sterilised over six months of age. In truth, most of our guests are the beloved companions of young professionals, single parents, or people who work long hours. Some arrive on foot, others by bicycle, or car – a daily reminder that atFrits is for every dog and every owner,” she says.

Ten years – or 70 in dog years – is a remarkable milestone in any business, but especially in the still-developing pet care industry in South Africa. As a pioneer in this space, atFrits has not only survived but thrived,  setting the standard for care, transparency, and long-term impact.

What further distinguished atFrits was its uncompromising commitment to total transparency. “We are still the only dog hotel in South Africa with 24/7 cameras installed throughout the facility,” says Klue. “Transparency builds trust, and trust builds community.”

In 2018, atFrits expanded into what would become the largest pet hotel in the world, adding a full-scale cat hotel and expanding its operational team. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Klue made the strategic decision to purchase and return to atFrits’ original building – a space better suited for fostering the kind of trust and warmth that defines the brand. “The core of atFrits has always stayed the same,” she explains. “The cameras, the care, the familiarity – those are the things that matter.”

Amongst the key milestones:

• 2015 – Launch: South Africa’s first dog hotel opens in Cape Town, pioneering a new model in pet care.
• 2018 – Expansion: Moves to the largest pet facility in the world at the time, with a dedicated cat hotel.
• 2018 – Launch of CTPUP: Co-founds the Cape Town Pet Upliftment Project (CTPUP) with the Cape of Good Hope SPCA, providing free veterinary care for pets belonging to the city’s homeless and vulnerable residents. Should something happen to the homeless person, his dog is fully vaccinated and sterilised and can stay in atFrits till the owner is better. “To us, every dog is welcome, above all else – we want to ensure that all dogs that come through our doors are loved and cared for,” says Klue.
• 2020 – Pandemic Resilience: Weathered COVID-19’s challenges by pivoting to community support – atFrits took in pets of homeless people who had to go and live in shelters, quarantined owners and pets of doctors and nurses.  Despite a temporary dip in daycare demand, the business emerged leaner and more focused.
• 2021 – Return to Roots: Buys back and relocates to the original site, preserving the heart of the atFrits experience at Castle Street.
• 2021 – Pension Gift of Empowerment: Cat hotel manager Naziemah is gifted the cat hotel business, now operating independently from her home.
• 2023 – Operational Excellence: Deepens quality and service consistency, reinforcing atFrits’ position as South Africa’s most trusted pet care facility.
• 2025 – it’s our Birthday! atFrits celebrates 10 incredible years as the pioneers in pet care!

atFrits’ success is also a personal triumph for Yanic Klue, one of South Africa’s trailblazing female entrepreneurs in the pet industry. Armed with an MBA and a lifelong passion for animals, Klue identified a gap in the market for upscale pet accommodation and dared to fill it. Bringing this unconventional idea to life was not easy; it meant convincing financial entities, customers, and even officials that a “Hilton Hotel for dogs” could work in Cape Town.

Klue emphasises that careful planning and building trust were crucial. “Entrepreneurs are sometimes too impatient and end up starting their business prematurely. They don’t think through all the influencing aspects and how they are going to reach their target market and create trust,” she noted. True to her own advice, Klue did extensive groundwork before launch, from developing a strong brand to ensuring top-notch facilities. “For us, all dogs deserve the best care. You won’t leave your children in an environment that you yourself will not feel comfortable in.

“At atFrits, it’s all about transparency, the level of care and knowledge, what the hotel sounds and smells like, and the quality of service we deliver. Trust and consistency are everything,” Klue says.  That unwavering commitment to quality paid off: pet owners quickly recognised the professionalism and care at atFrits, turning them into loyal clients and avid ambassadors for the hotel (with hundreds of five-star reviews online).

Importantly, Klue had to overcome skepticism not just as an entrepreneur, but as a woman in a still-niche field. Her hands-on leadership and expertise have earned respect; today, she’s seen as a visionary who introduced a new sector to South Africa. Cape Town’s business community also played a role by embracing the concept. Klue’s journey showcases how a female-owned small business can break new ground and thrive with passion, perseverance, and community support.

As South Africa’s SME sector continues to grow, atFrits exemplifies how small and medium enterprises can drive innovation and upliftment. SMEs contribute around 30% to the country’s GDP, but their broader impact lies in how they reshape industries and communities. atFrits employs dozens of full-time staff and supports dozens more indirectly. Initiatives like CTPUP and its apparel production model illustrate how business can be a force for good.

Klue believes deeply in this ethos: “If every business in South Africa just changed the lives of the people and animals around their businesses, South Africa would be a better place.”

Ten years on, atFrits is not only celebrating a milestone, but reaffirming its mission: to care for dogs as family, uplift people through meaningful work, and run a business where transparency, trust, and humanity are non-negotiable.

Klue firmly believes that nurturing entrepreneurship is key to South Africa’s prosperity. “People are always saying, How can you set up a dog hotel in a third-world country?” she says, referencing the doubters. “But they don’t realize small and medium businesses like this are what will make our country move forward. They’re keeping the economy alive.”

In an unequal society where extravagant pet services might raise eyebrows, atFrits has proven that innovation can coexist with social responsibility, and that SMEs can make a positive difference on multiple fronts. The success of atFrits has even inspired copycats: competitors and franchisers have sprung up in the pet hospitality space, expanding the industry and further contributing to jobs and investment.  What was once a single quirky startup has catalysed a growing pet care economy in Africa and abroad.