Planet Fitness celebrates 30 years of growth and innovation in South Africa

Planet Fitness celebrated its 30th anniversary last week. Managing Director Mannee De Wet said that from the outset, their focus has been on quality over quantity. Planet Fitness was founded in 1995 by Mannee De Wet and Manny Rivera.

De Wet added that they were never interested in having the most clubs. “Our strategy has always been to create a presence in carefully targeted areas. We treat every new club as an independent business, and we believe in growing our membership base rather than saturating the market with clubs that are too close together.”

De Wet said that Planet Fitness’ aim is to open five new clubs a year until 2030, making a high-quality training experience accessible to more communities throughout South Africa, “Without diluting their brand or member experience. This year sees new clubs launching in Randburg and Boksburg, while Durbanville (Western Cape) opened in July and Fourways Mall (Gauteng) opened in August. Of their 51 existing clubs, 37 are in Gauteng’s economically active hub, with Western Cape being the next major focus.”

De Wet added that first, we’ve focused on building world-class clubs in the right places, creating experiences that make members want to keep coming back, no matter their age, fitness level, or goals. “We access on average 1 million workouts per month and show a high level of engagement that proves people aren’t just signing up, they are also showing up. We’ve grown through discipline and consistency, not shortcuts, and we reinvest constantly in our clubs to keep them fresh and relevant.”

De Wet said that over 30 years we’ve weathered challenges, from entrenched competitors to COVID lockdowns, by putting our people and our members first. “That’s why, today, we’re trusted as one of South Africa’s leading fitness brands, with 51 clubs and counting.”

De Wet added that looking ahead, our aim is to open five new clubs every year until 2030, which will take us to around 75 clubs by the end of the decade. “This year alone, we’ve already added new clubs in Durbanville, Fourways Mall, Randburg and Boksburg. At the same time, we’re continually refurbishing existing clubs to make sure they remain state-of-the-art, with features like HYROX training floors, indoor running tracks, reformer Pilates, specialist booty training, women-only strength zones, and dedicated recovery areas.”

De Wet said that our growth strategy is deliberately paced and always sustainable: every club must stand on its own and add genuine value to its community. “Our training has evolved with the way South Africans are choosing to live and move. Gone are the days when gyms were about bodybuilding for men and weight loss for women. Today, it's about functional strength, mobility, endurance and mental wellness.”

De Wet added that that's why we offer programmes like Booty Factory and Brazilian Booty Blast, women-friendly training spaces, and global trends like reformer Pilates and hot yoga. “We’re also proud to be the official HYROX training partner in South Africa, with dedicated HYROX zones and Master Trainers to help our members participate in this global hybrid fitness race. And, we’re seeing growing interest in recovery, so we’re adding stretch facilities. It’s all about helping our members train smarter, recover better, and build resilience for life.”

De Wet said that we are welcoming more than 12,000 new members every month. “These new clubs are poised to significantly boost their overall membership, which is currently sitting at around 220,000. However, De Wet places more emphasis on the number of members who actively train every month: “Our clubs see 850,000 members through their doors every month. For us, this high percentage of engagement is a true metric of success.”

De Wet added that the group’s considered growth strategy has stood them in good stead: only around 20 clubs have been closed over their 30 years, often as part of a relocation to better premises, with members migrating seamlessly to the new facilities. “Partnerships with health and retail brands have also helped keep the business relevant in a rapidly changing industry, while its investment in people remains central to its success. 

Long-serving employee Sandra Ndlovu, who has risen from locker room attendant to configuration administrator over 22 years, said that the company’s “fair policies, personal touch, affordable membership fees, and world-class equipment” for both staff and member loyalty.

BUSINESS REPORT