Cape Town, South Africa, Cements Itself as Superyachting Destination

Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront is a mixed-use neighborhood and working harbor with a variety of attractions, including a wide number of shopping and dining options — and now it wants to become a superyachting destination.

In March, the waterfront announced the development of the $14 million Quay 7 Superyacht Marina, which will be located across from Cape Town EDITION Hotel (where passengers will have access to a dedicated concierge lounge). The project is anticipated to wrap up in October, with the marina the first of its kind for sub-Saharan Africa.

The project hopes to take advantage of the shift in superyachting routes, as more vessels move away from the Mediterranean and Caribbean to the Indian Ocean, Southern Africa and Australasia.

“Cape Town offers not just a safe harbor and world-class provisioning, but access to adventure cruising routes – Antarctic expeditions, Southern Ocean passages and Indian Ocean islands – that will define the next era of luxury yachting,” said Andre Blaine, executive, marine and industrial property, V&A Waterfront.

Superyacht visits to the destination have already grown, with V&A Waterfront citing Red Sea rerouting as a key factor. Many of those vessels return annually, and some remain berthed for an entire season.