Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront to Welcome €11.5 Million Superyacht Haven Amid Transformative Sea-side Development

The V&A Waterfront marina at Cape Town’s harbour precinct is about to receive an impressive €11.5 million facelift. With a completion date set for October 2026, the Quay 7 Superyacht Marina will become the first Gold Anchor-accredited facility in the region – an impressive addition to the extensive €1 billion Granger Bay precinct expansion project. This move comes hot on the heels of an increasing fleet reroute away from the Red Sea and a Mediterranean berth market grappling with burgeoning capacity pressure. CEO of V&A Waterfront, Graham Wood, is optimistic about the timely investment, citing it as a response to a growing market demand.

The increasing number of superyacht visits to Cape Town have been noted since 2009, with 35 vessels welcomed in the 2024/25 season alone. Extended stays for these mega vessels have become the norm, with some spending up to a year in the harbour. Cape Town’s unique blend of world-class tourism, reliable marine services and access to adventure cruising routes trump those offered by traditional yachting hubs. The new facility aims to accommodate this preference for the city among sea farers, offering eight berths for vessels measuring between 30 and 90 metres. The berths come complete with floating jetties providing electricity, water and Wi-Fi. Within the facility, Elbow Quay tenants FFS will provide bonded fuel, while access to the Syncrolift and Robinson Dry Dock ensures convenient repair and refit work. The marina is also equipped with a concierge lounge spanning around 114 square metres to cater to visiting vessels and crew.

In keeping with the marine industrial base that Cape Town is renowned for, the marina has a secondary function that supports the local manufacturing sector. Off-season, the berths will serve as commissioning and export staging areas for the city’s catamaran manufacturers including Robertson and Caine, Two Oceans Marine and Balance Catamarans. These builders command strong international export markets but have been faced with limited local berthing for their finished vessels. With this new superyacht marina, Cape Town is solidifying its standing as a credible technical hub and not just a beautiful harbour. Marina official Andre Blaine hails this development as a strategic step forward, saying it generates sustained demand for fuel suppliers, marine engineers, crew training facilities, and logistics operators, while boosting local manufacturers who require berthing space for commissioning. Referring to the project as ’economic infrastructure’, Blaine believes the investment will firmly position Cape Town on the global maritime circuit.