Aerontec, a member of the Biesterfeld Group since 2024, has opened a new Cape Town head office that combines offices, warehousing, a fully equipped training centre, and a shared Biesterfeld laboratory together in one hub for South Africa’s composites community.
The company believes the move will prove useful to marine manufacturers, many of whom rely on advanced composites. “South Africa’s marine sector—particularly production catamarans and semi‑custom yachts—demands lighter, stronger, and more consistent composite structures. Aerontec’s new headquarters is designed to raise process capability locally by combining skills development, scientific testing, and rapid material availability all under one roof,” the company says in a recent news update.
A case in point: Aerontec recently provided technical support to Durban-based Point Fibreglass which introduced basalt fabric into their high-performance surfski construction. “After rigorous testing, the team found basalt offered the perfect balance of stiffness, impact resistance, weight reduction and cost-effectiveness – ideal for the demanding surf conditions skis face,” the company confirmed. “They put it to the test at the 2025 World Surfski Championships in Durban, where over 20 skis were written off… but not a single one of theirs.”