The V&A Waterfront has announced a development that will establish Cape Town as the definitive superyacht gateway for Southern Africa and a critical maritime hub for vessels navigating between the world’s traditional cruising grounds and emerging adventure yachting destinations.
The Quay 7 Superyacht Marina will be located at one of the Southern Hemisphere’s oldest working harbours in Cape Town and among the most visited destinations in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Positioned in front of the new Cape Town EDITION hotel, the basin will offer breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean, the City Bowl, and Cape Town’s most celebrated landmark—Table Mountain.
The R230 million (about $14 million) project, scheduled for completion in October 2026, will feature six stern-to berths accommodating vessels of 40–90 metres. With no comparable berthing in sub-Saharan Africa, the marina will fill a significant infrastructure gap in the region.
The development responds to a fundamental shift in global superyacht routing patterns. Instability in the Red Sea has accelerated the long-term migration of vessels away from traditional Mediterranean–Caribbean circuits towards the Indian Ocean, Southern Africa and Australasia.
With insurance restrictions reinforcing the rerouting of traffic around the Cape of Good Hope rather than through the Suez Canal, demand for premium berthing at this strategic waypoint has intensified.
“The global superyacht industry is experiencing a generational shift,” says V&A Waterfront Executive: Marine & Industrial Property, Andre Blaine. “Captains and owners are seeking smarter, more operationally efficient alternatives to saturated hubs.
“Cape Town offers not just a safe harbour 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.”
The facility will provide floating jetties with full utility servicing, 24/7 security, bonded fuel supply and direct access to the Syncrolift and Robinson Dry Dock for repair and refit work. A dedicated concierge lounge will be located within the adjacent Cape Town EDITION hotel, while passengers and crew will have access to premium retail, world-class dining, and the East Pier Helistop, amenities all within the V&A Waterfront precinct.
Superyacht visits to the V&A Waterfront have grown consistently since 2009, with 35 vessels recorded in the 2024/25 season, a surge driven partly by Red Sea rerouting.
Many vessels now make regular annual calls, with some remaining berthed for six to 12 months as Cape Town establishes itself as a preferred seasonal base and launch point for expeditionary cruising.
Blaine notes that Cape Town’s positioning offers distinct strategic advantages. “We sit at the intersection of three oceans, with more than 30,000 commercial and tourism vessels passing the Cape annually,” he says.
“Our marine services sector is mature, our crew training facilities are internationally recognised, and our tourism infrastructure rivals any global destination. What we’ve lacked is purpose-built berthing that matches the operational standards captains expect.”
The basin has been designed for maximum flexibility. During peak season, it will accommodate superyacht berthing; in the off-season, it will support commissioning and export staging for Cape Town’s thriving catamaran manufacturing industry, including Robertson and Caine, Two Oceans Marine and Balance Catamarans.
The V&A Waterfront is pursuing Gold Anchor accreditation for the facility, which would position it among an elite cohort of internationally certified marinas. Currently, no Gold Anchor-accredited facilities exist in the immediate geographic region.
The V&A Waterfront CEO, Graham Wood concludes, “This is about positioning Cape Town where it belongs on the global superyacht circuit. We are not chasing mega yachts or building speculative infrastructure. We are responding to demonstrated demand with a facility scaled for market reality. The opportunity is structural, and Cape Town is perfectly placed to capture it.”
