Flying 5,000 Miles for a Cushion Measurement? No Cushion the Long Haul for This Cape Business

Tariq Fensham often goes the extra mile for clients of her popular upholstery business.

But later this year she will go 5000 extra miles just to get cushion measurements, so that the cushions can be picked up when her client’s yacht passes Cape Town.

It’s a service milestone that illustrates the growth of Cape Town’s Blue Economy, where luxury boating is driving job creation and investment in multiple sectors.

In the case of Jo Fensham Yacht Upholstery, this growth is being accelerated by leaps in digital technology. Advanced tools allow Fensham and her team to scan a vessel at a remote global location and seamlessly translate those dimensions into physical products at their Cape Town facility. “We will fly to Mauritius, scan the saloon, and then come back and make the cushions,” Fensham told International Boat Industry news recently. The digital information is stored in a secure central database, allowing clients to place new orders whenever required, from wherever they are in the world. “We even got a request from a client in the middle of the Atlantic,” Fensham added.

Her team recently secured orders from two international superyachts, and just completed an extensive exterior scan of a vessel berthed at the Port of Cape Town. The firm’s proprietary digital scanning methodology feeds directly into their advanced manufacturing system, allowing the team to capture highly accurate vessel records and detailed digital pattern information. This enables them to "support yachts well beyond the point of the initial scan," as the company notes on its website. "This is not simply a measuring exercise. It is a complete service model that connects scanning, digital record retention, manufacturing expertise, and global delivery."

Founder Jo Fensham started the business in 1981 as a one-woman workshop, making cushions for one of the local boat yards. The firm has since grown into the country’s leading marine upholstery supplier, servicing most of South Africa’s top boat builders. 

Jo’s daughter Tariq, who joined the firm in 2011, took over as managing director when her mother retired in 2015. She has focused on modernising the company’s processes. ENDS