SA ranks second in the world for building catamarans, for example.For more financial news,The South African boat building industry is booming again after a pandemic slowdown – but the loss of US duty-free access will hurt.
Bruce Tedder, chairperson of the South African Boatbuilding Export Council , estimates that the local industry currently completes more than one boat per working day. SA ranks second in the world for building catamarans, after France."Our boats are award-winning, world-class, and well-built. Most of the designs, sails, and other equipment are also locally manufactured," says Tedder.
"Worldwide, there has been a huge post-Covid-19 boom, and in SA we are getting our good share of this. Private yacht sales are booming, as folks travel in a safe 'bubble'," says Tedder."Fleets need to be upgraded, so the charter companies are buying big time. Demand exceeds supply, with order books for most of our builders now running for two to three years. Boom times indeed, but years in the making," says Tedder.
According to Wesgro, the official tourism, trade, and investment promotion agency for the Western Cape, the vast majority of boats built in the Western Cape are for the export market. Wesgro data shows that the sector has had post-Covid-19 growth rates of 20%. As of 2023, the industry is worth about R3 billion. SA was ranked as roughly the 18th biggest exporter of recreational boats worldwide in 2021.
The top export markets are the US , Italy , the British Virgin Islands , France , and Turkey . The Western Cape is SA's boatbuilding hub, accounting for an estimated 70% of the country's marine manufacturing capacity. Most boatbuilding companies are based in Cape Town, but there are also boatyards in St Helena Bay, Saldanha Bay, Swellendam, George, and Knysna.
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