Work Begins on SA’s First Dedicated Superyacht Marina at V&A Waterfront

South Africa's first purpose-built superyacht marina is officially under construction in Cape Town, with work on six floating steel pontoons underway ahead of a planned 1 November launch.

A formal keel-laying ceremony took place last week at Damen Shipyards Cape Town, which has been contracted to manufacture the six 30-metre pontoons—a central engineering element of the V&A Waterfront’s R230 million Quay 7 development.

"The event signalled the formal transition from design and planning to the physical production of infrastructure that will establish the V&A Waterfront and Cape Town as a globally competitive superyacht destination and strengthen the long-term growth of South Africa’s ocean economy," the V&A Waterfront said in a statement. 

“The keel-laying ceremony marks the moment where years of planning this strategic maritime infrastructure becomes a visible reality,” says Graham Wood, CEO of the V&A Waterfront. 

“Quay 7 will position the V&A Waterfront and Cape Town where they belong—on the global superyacht circuit—and create long-term economic opportunities for the marine services sector, local manufacturers, and the broader ocean economy. Every weld brings that future closer.” 

Cape Town maritime stakeholders are eager to see the City establish itself as a premier superyacht repair, refit, and maintenance hub to complement its world-class boatbuilding sector. The number of superyacht visits has increased steadily in recent years, boosted in part by security concerns along the Red Sea route, which has seen more international vessels rerouting around the Cape.

A regional Superyacht Working Group was established last year following the inaugural African Boating Conference in Cape Town to drive coordinated sector growth.