The V&A Waterfront is moving to strengthen Cape Town’s standing in the global superyacht market, combining new hospitality and marina upgrades to make the city not just a stopover but a launching point for voyages along Africa’s coastline. The vision, set out at the African Boating Conference in Cape Town, was presented by the V&A Waterfront CEO, Graham Wood.
Planned facilities and hospitality boost
Key elements of the Waterfront’s push include the arrival of the new EDITION hotel, and proposals to develop dedicated superyacht berthing and support services at Quay 7. Those additions are intended to improve the experience for owners and guests while expanding the market for marine services based in Cape Town.
Few international ports combine a working harbour with immediate access to hotels, restaurants and cultural attractions framed by dramatic scenery. That proximity is central to the Waterfront’s pitch: visiting owners can disembark and find high-end hospitality and entertainment on their doorstep, with Table Mountain visible from the berths.
Numbers pointing to growth
Research presented at the conference by BOATPro shows growth in visiting superyachts to Southern Africa. In 2019 the region saw 14 visiting superyachts longer than 24 metres; by 2025 the figure had risen to 36. The vessels arriving in the region are also larger than the global average — the mean length recorded in 2025 was 60 metres.
| Year | Visiting superyachts >24m | Average length (m) |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 14 | — |
| 2025 | 36 | 60 |
Local impact and opportunities
For Cape Town the opportunity runs beyond glamorous vessels. The Waterfront frames the objective as capturing higher tourism spend across hospitality, retail and marine services, and creating jobs in both routine marina operations and specialist marine maintenance.
- Attract higher-spending visitors and longer stays
- Expand local marine services, refit and maintenance opportunities
- Create employment across hospitality, retail and maritime trades
- Encourage inland spend by routing yacht-based visitors into city offerings
Investments such as the EDITION hotel and upgraded berthing at Quay 7 are designed to make Cape Town more competitive against other global and regional yachting ports. The Waterfront’s strategy is to present an integrated offer: world-class berths, nearby luxury accommodation and immediate access to dining and cultural attractions.
Challenges to be managed
Turning the Waterfront into a true superyacht hub will require more than new berths. Operators and the city will need to manage environmental and operational pressures in a working harbour, co-ordinate customs and immigration procedures for high-value visitors, and ensure supporting services — fuel, maintenance, waste disposal and security — meet the standards expected by owners of large yachts.
There is also a public interest dimension: municipal and provincial authorities must balance investments aimed at high-end tourism with the needs of residents who rely on the harbour and its associated industries for employment. The Waterfront’s plan includes longer-term proposals to knit surrounding areas into a more vibrant coastal neighbourhood, but those proposals will demand coordination with city planning and local communities.
The CEO framed the ambition at the conference succinctly:
"turn it into a starting point for exploring Africa’s spectacular coastlines."
For Cape Town, realising that ambition could deliver novel business for local shipyards, hospitality groups and tourism operators. How quickly it translates into regular calls from 60-metre-plus superyachts will depend on how rapidly berthing and services are upgraded and how seamlessly authorities and industry co-operate to deliver a premium port experience.
As the Waterfront pursues its plan, the wider question will be whether the benefits — increased revenue and jobs — are distributed beyond luxury enclaves and reach workers and small businesses that form the backbone of the city’s tourism economy.
The developments at the V&A Waterfront represent a calculated bet that Cape Town’s unique mix of harbour, mountain backdrop and tourism infrastructure can be packaged as Africa’s premier superyacht gateway. The next steps will be technical: berths, services and regulations — and political, as public stakeholders weigh the costs and gains for the city.
