A regional Superyacht Working Group is on the cards to promote Africa as a superyacht destination, according to Superyacht Cape Town director Veda Pretorius.
The Working Group is one of several initiatives expected to flow from the much-anticipated African Boating Conference in Cape Town in October, the first international boating conference of its kind on African soil.
Pretorius, the event organiser, believes a Superyacht Working Group would have a catalytic impact on the local superyacht repair and maintenance sector. Cape Town in particular, has already seen a significant increase in superyacht traffic due largely to security issues in the Gulf of Aden. “The idea is to pull together a Working Group of government and private stakeholders, not only from South Africa but from across the region, from as far afield as the Maldives, Mauritius and the Seychelles,” Pretorius told SABBEX. “We want to bring together people who are interested in growing the region as a superyacht hub, and everything that goes with it.”
“It’s definitely something that will need coordinated effort,” Pretorius said.