The Cape Town Cruise Terminal won a new global award this past weekend, highlighting its status as the continent’s top destination for cruise tourism.

For the fourth consecutive year, the Cape Town Cruise Terminal was honoured as Africa’s Best Cruise Terminal at the prestigious World Cruise Awards, held in Funchal, the capital of Madeira.

The awards celebrate outstanding achievements in the global cruise industry.

The Cape Town Cruise Terminal says winning for a fourth year in a row is proof of the terminal’s commitment to delivering a world-class experience for cruise passengers and solidifying its reputation as a premier gateway to the City of Cape Town and the Waterfront.

The Executive Manager for Marine & Industrial Property Andre Blaine says they are honoured to receive this accolade, which follows hot on the heels of the Port of Cape Town being recognised as Africa’s Leading Cruise Port at the World Travel Awards in October.

“These achievements reflect our ongoing commitment to excellence and presenting Cape Town in the best possible light. As the first point of contact for visitors arriving by sea, the terminal plays a crucial role in shaping their experience, and we strive to make every arrival memorable.’’

The Port has been integrated with food, retail and commercial office elements, which Blaine says has been a game-changer for its location, drawing new visitors into the commercial port environment while driving foot traffic into the rest of the Waterfront for cruise travellers to enjoy.

Blaine has thanked the Western Cape Government, the City of Cape Town, Transnet National Ports Authority, the South African Marine Safety Authority, and Cruise Cape Town, powered by Wesgro “who have all been instrumental in driving the success and growth of the cruise tourism industry in South Africa.”

Other African ports that were also nominated in the category included Durban’s KwaZulu Cruise Terminal, Kenya’s Mombasa Cruise Terminal, Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh Sea Port and Tanzania’s Ports of Dar es Salaam and Port of Zanzibar.

The City is expecting a bumper cruise season for 2024/25, with 88 vessel visits and 130,000 passengers expected.