Pets have become a crucial part of South African life. No country loves its furry loved one more than Mzansi. Today more than 40% of South African homes have one or more pets.

As a result, the pet care service and product industry has seen a dramatic increase in opportunity and revenue. So, Pet-care businesses have become indispensable to the booming pet owners population in SA. But as an owner of one of these businesses, how do you ensure that you have adequate business insurance?

Why You Need to Insure your Pet Business

If you run a Veterinary clinic, Doggie Day-care, Pet Grooming, or Pet Boarding business in South Africa, having your enterprise insured is a must. You’ll want to choose a trusted insurance company that knows the ins and outs of pet business insurance.

Property and Contents Cover:

Your property, equipment, and contents are essential to keeping your pet-centric business up and running. And working with pets in such close proximity presents potential risks that can sometimes lead to unpredictable situations such as:

• Natural disasters
• Vandalism
• Damage to premises/ contents

Transportation-Related Cover

It is important to remember that your auto insurance might not cover transport liabilities that may occur within your business’s transportation component.

Business owners need to ensure they protect their business assets against situations like stolen/missing/delayed/faulty stock due to delivery issues or a vehicular accident during operating hours.

Having a tailored insurance policy for your pet business is something you ought to consider when insuring your pet business.

Worker’s Compensation Coverage

Workers Compensation and Unemployment Insurance Fund are compulsory for every business to contribute to in order to protect their employees.

Ensuring employees’ potentially lost wages and/or medical expenses due to either injury at work not only helps your employees but also protects your business from being sued over working conditions by employees.

Petcare Business Insurance Companies

Fortunately, South Africa has a great list of companies to choose from when looking for your ideal quote. To get you started, we’ve compiled a shortlist of the best pet business insurance companies in South Africa.

Dotsure – South Africa’s Leading Pet Business Insurer

(Image by dotsure.co.za Pet Insurance, Facebook.com)

Dotsure.co.za is South Africa’s leading pet insurance provider, as well as the five-star-rated insurance house in South Africa, according to hellopeter since 2019.

Being well integrated into the South African pet industry, Dotsure.co.za has meticulously designed a tailor-made business insurance plan specifically for veterinary practices, making provisions for common losses that veterinary clinics are particularly familiar with, such as:

• Property and Contents: Protection of the premises, equipment, stock, and medication from fire and theft.
• Damage by Animals: The business’s property and its equipment will be covered against any damage caused by animals.
• Business Interruption: This cover ensures that your business can remain operational even in the event of having to temporarily close the business doors.
• Professional Liability: Indemnity against being lawfully obligated to pay compensation.
• Motor: Protection of the business’s vehicle in the event of damage or loss.
• Animal Bailee: Protection in the event that your business is liable for damage, death, or injury of an animal.

(Image by dotsure.co.za Pet Insurance, Facebook.com)

Dotsure.co.za also has other amazing products and business cover plans available for other pet-centric businesses. Dotsure.co.za is a great choice if you want your business to be fully understood by insurance professionals with over 20 years of experience in the pet care industry.

Outsurance

(Image by OUTsurance, Facebook.com)

As one of South Africa’s leading insurance providers, Outsurance will be able to offer you business cover that will ensure you rest easy, so you can focus on providing the best pet care possible.

Unlike Dotsure.co.za, Outsurance is not a pet-care-focused insurance company, but that doesn’t mean they won’t understand the specific needs of your enterprise. The company is renowned in South Africa for giving some of the best cover for small-medium enterprises.

Here are their general coverage options for businesses:

• Buildings Insurance: protection of equipment, stock, and premises from fire and theft.
• Money insurance: protection of onsite holdings.
• Business interruption insurance: your business will remain up and running in the event of a temporary foreclosure.
• Personal accident insurance: protection against accidental injury for all employees
• Business all risk insurance: cover items you have taken or used outside of the premises, such as cell phones and laptops

Outsurance’s standard business cover plan provides cover against fire, water, explosion, and impact damage as well as weather and elemental damage from snow, storm, wind, hail, and lightning.

Business owners will also have additional optional cover against:

• Accidental damage
• Malicious damage or Vandalism
• Power surges
• Landslip and Subsidence

South Africa’s Other Leading Pet Business Insurers

South Africa has a wide variety of Insurers with decades of experience in business insurance. Here are some of the leading SA insurers offering similar cover plans:

• Santam
• 1st for women
• Momentum
• King Price
• MiWay
• Discovery
• Old Mutual

Final Thoughts: How to Choose the Right Insurance Provider for Your Pet Business

When starting your insurance journey, it is important to consider your enterprise’s insurance needs. You’ll want to think hard about what your potential risks are and how you can get the best fit for you.

As a pet-care provider, your work is highly valuable, so you don’t want to have to halt your activity because of any unforeseen circumstances or unmitigable events – make sure your coverer understands the ins and outs of your business practice, and you’ll be able to rest assured that your business will be covered