The V&A Waterfront has announced a R230 million investment in a purpose-built superyacht marina that it says will create new economic opportunities for Cape Town’s marine services sector.
The Quay 7 Superyacht Marina will be located at one of the Southern Hemisphere’s oldest working harbours and among the most visited destinations in Sub-Saharan Africa (Cape Town).
It will be positioned in front of the new Cape Town EDITION hotel, with breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean, the City Bowl, and Table Mountain.
Scheduled for completion in October 2026, the V&A says it positions Cape Town as a key player in the global ocean economy – not just as a scenic stopover, but as a working maritime hub with the infrastructure and expertise to service an increasingly sophisticated international industry.
V&A Waterfront CEO Graham Wood says the marina will address a market reality that has been building for years.
“Superyacht visits have grown steadily since 2009, and we welcomed 35 vessels in the 2024/25 season alone. Many stay for extended periods – six months, sometimes a year – because Cape Town offers a unique mix: world-class tourism, reliable marine services, and access to adventure cruising routes that simply don’t exist in traditional yachting hubs.”
The marina is designed for dual-purpose use. During peak season, the six stern-to and two beam-on berths and their floating jetties will accommodate superyachts of 40–90 metres. In the off-season, the facility will support commissioning and export staging for Cape Town’s catamaran manufacturing industry. This sector includes globally competitive builders such as Robertson and Caine, Two Oceans Marine, and Balance Catamarans.
“This isn’t only a leisure marina, it’s economic infrastructure,” says Andre Blaine, Executive: Marine & Industrial Property at V&A Waterfront.
“It creates sustained demand for fuel suppliers, provisioning companies, marine engineers, crew training facilities, and logistics operators. It supports local manufacturers who need berthing space for commissioning. And it positions Cape Town as a credible technical hub, not just a beautiful harbour.”
The marina is part of the broader V&A precinct expansion, which includes the Cape Town EDITION hotel, the newly refurbished Intercontinental Table Bay Cape Town, and the East Pier Helistop.
Employment multiplier
The V&A says the facility will require additional permanent staff with broader employment multiplier effects in the provisioning, refuelling, marine maintenance, and hospitality sectors. The facility will have its own dedicated concierge office servicing the vessels and their crew.
Wood emphasises the high-value, low-volume tourism model that the basin represents.
“A superyacht visit generates exponentially more economic activity per visitor than mass tourism.”
Blaine further comments, “These vessels refuel with hundreds of thousands of litres at a time. They source fresh provisions at scale. They employ local marine contractors for repair work. The spend is substantial, the volume is manageable, and the economic benefit stays local.”
“More than 30,000 vessels pass the Cape annually for trade and tourism. The cruise season has extended from seven to nine months. Marine training, repair, and manufacturing sectors are already well-established. This new marina formalises what the market has been signalling for years: Cape Town belongs on the global maritime circuit.”
