Cape Town is positioning itself for a major leap in the global superyacht market, with plans for a dedicated superyacht basin and a new Africa-focused yacht route centred on the city.
Local industry figures predict a surge in superyacht traffic — and investment — that will reshape the city’s V&A Waterfront over the next year.
Marine industry consultant Veda Pretorius, who heads a newly formed superyacht Africa working group, says the group is working closely with city authorities, marine industry players, tourism bodies and investment partners to build a co-ordinated strategy.
A core part of the plan is the V&A Waterfront’s new superyacht basin, now in development. The site is set to feature six new superyacht berths linked to a helipad and a seven-star hotel, all timed for completion before next year’s peak season.
The sector’s economic momentum is clear. At the African Boating Conference in October, it was reported that yachts and pleasure vessels accounted for 96% of South Africa’s boat exports last year, a category that has more than tripled in 10 years.
James Vos, the city’s MMC for economic growth, said this demonstrated the global appetite for made-in-Cape Town vessels. “Cape Town’s boat-builders have clearly hooked a growing market of international clients seeking [their] innovative designs and quality of craftsmanship.”
The Cape Chamber of Commerce noted that most of these boats are destined for the US, with last year’s exports totalling R4.3bn.
Pretorius said the superyacht working group, established two months ago, aims to “harness Africa’s coastline, marine capabilities and cultural richness to develop a sustainable, high-value superyacht and marine tourism route around the continent”.
She said that while Cape Town already draws superyachts, huge potential remained untapped due to fragmented regulations, limited marketing, infrastructure gaps and the lack of a unified “industry voice”.
“Can you imagine, for example, what happens when these superyachts arrive, and they start hosting functions and inviting guests. What that does to the flower market alone is immense, with their huge demand for fresh bouquets.
“And then they leave, generally with 40 or 50 people on board, and they sail for two or three weeks before they reach their next port. The amount of food and supplies they need to stock up on is enormous,” Pretorius said.
Networking efforts are under way with potential partners in a “superyacht corridor” — including Mauritius, Seychelles, Madagascar, Namibia and St Helena — to create a shared strategy for attracting, servicing and retaining visiting vessels, Pretorius said. The goal is a “world-class superyacht frontier” built on both cruising and high-value refit and maintenance work.
She said South Africa accounts for between 30% and 40% of superyacht crew members around the world, thanks to strong local training and the appeal of a career that pays in hard currency — with very low living expenses.
Andre Blaine, head of marine and industrial property for the V&A Waterfront, said Cape Town had become a “middle destination” for global travellers, thanks in part to conflict in the Middle East and the associated risks of traversing the Red Sea and Suez Canal.
Stopovers are lengthening, and superyacht traffic is rising, he said. The vessels are typically owned by tech moguls, business tycoons, royal families, heads of state and major entertainment figures.
The new superyacht facility, Blaine said, will use Mediterranean-style berthing, with yachts parked facing outward to maximise space and allow access for a floating workshop that can do repairs and maintenance.
“We’ll be ready for next year’s season from September to March when waters are calmer in the Cape and counter-cyclical to the Mediterranean,” Blaine said. Expanded helipad capacity will allow superyacht guests arriving at Cape Town International Airport to skip the traffic jams and fly directly to the Waterfront.
“We’re accommodating the developments at quay 7 and envisioning it to eventually have [berths for] 12-14 yachts.”
Yacht owners are no longer just old wealthy men sitting on boats surrounded by beautiful young women as they sip expensive drinks in Monte Carlo. They are hugely rich dot.com guys who want to go exploring or on expeditions. They love surfing and yoga
— Bruce Tedder
And what a superyacht from an ordinary yacht? “Length and larniness.”
Cape Town, Blaine said, is drawing an increasing number of younger ocean-goers who view it as a gateway to Antarctica and appreciate the adventure of the less-frequented Cape seas. From here, they can easily reach cruising grounds in Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania and elsewhere.
“Cape Town’s a value attraction both on the exchange rate and the quality food scene, brilliant restaurants, good chefs and accessible safaris. Especially for US and European travellers in a similar time zone — it’s a hot market. You can land in Cape Town, be airborne above the mountain in five minutes and off to a wine farm within 45 minutes. It’s a massive ecosystem for superyacht owners,” Blaine said.
Industry veteran Bruce Tedder, chair of the South African Boat Builders Export Council, said South Africa was second only to France as a producer of luxury catamarans and yachts. The country’s biggest manufacturer, Southern Wind Shipyard builds designer superyachts over 30m long at about R500m each, “the best in the world in terms of quality and specs”, he said.
“People see their boats at shows in Monte Carlo, fly here, watch them build their yacht, which gets handed over to their crew before the owner and their family head off to the Caribbean or Mediterranean or wherever they want to park them. People come here because we are the best,” Tedder said.
Market growth, he said, is being driven by younger high-net-worth buyers with different priorities.
“Yacht owners are no longer just old wealthy men sitting on boats surrounded by beautiful young women as they sip expensive drinks in Monte Carlo. They are hugely rich dot.com guys who want to go exploring or on expeditions. They love surfing and yoga, want to do good and will let their boats be used for research by places like National Geographic,” Tedder said.
Vanessa Davidson, founding director of ocean-economy development agency BlueCape, said about 3,000 young people a year joined the global industry as deckhands and stewards. But reality TV shows such as Below Deck created distorted expectations, portraying crew members drinking and socialising with guests in jacuzzies — which was far from the disciplined, high-pressure reality.
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