The R230m project — South Africa's first purpose-built superyacht marina — will provide eight berths for vessels up to 90 metres once complete. Six 30-metre Damen 3006 pontoons, built by Damen Shipyards Cape Town, are now in production, with the ceremony marking the welding of the first structural steel plates.
In traditional shipbuilding, a keel laying ceremony marks the placement of a vessel's structural backbone and is recognised as a project's official birth date — the moment full-scale construction begins. For Quay 7, it marked the start of production on the six purpose-built floating pontoons.
Construction is roughly 45% complete and remains on track for a 31 October 2026 finish, with an official opening set for November. Around 120 people are working on site, including staff from nine local subcontractors, and 76% of procurement spend to date has gone to local suppliers.
"The keel laying ceremony marks the moment where years of planning this strategic maritime infrastructure becomes a visible reality," says Graham Wood, CEO of the V&A Waterfront. "Quay 7 will position the V&A Waterfront and Cape Town where they belong – on the global superyacht circuit – and create long-term economic opportunities for the marine services sector, local manufacturers and the broader ocean economy. Every weld brings that future closer."
Each pontoon is being built in three sections by Damen Shipyards Cape Town. Steel plates are first fabricated into structural sub-panels covering the bottom, side shells, bulkheads and deck sections, before being assembled into complete pontoon structures.
The submerged structures require 3D modelling, digital scanning and specialist underwater survey systems, and will eventually be fitted with fire and lifesaving equipment, water supply and electrical kiosks, bollards, fenders, IT connectivity and bamboo decking, secured to the Quay 7 wall next to the Cape Town EDITION hotel.
For Damen Shipyards Cape Town, a shipbuilder with a track record in patrol, research and supply vessels, dredgers and tug, this is its most technically advanced marina project to date.
"Our expertise is in shipbuilding – patrol vessels, research and supply vessels, dredgers, and tugs – and we have brought that discipline to a marina context," says Damen Shipyards Cape Town Managing Director Hermoine Manuel. "This project is an example of international expertise combined with South African talent and local supplier capability, and it demonstrates that complex maritime infrastructure can be designed, procured, constructed and delivered to international standards right here in Cape Town."
Unlike a conventional marina, Quay 7 is designed for dual-purpose, year-round use. During superyacht season, its eight berths will accommodate vessels up to 90 metres. Off-season, the basin switches to commissioning and export staging for Cape Town's catamaran manufacturers, including Robertson and Caine, Two Oceans Marine and Balance Catamarans.
"What makes our Superyacht Marina different is that every aspect of the marina has been designed around operational excellence and long-term economic impact," says Andre Blaine, Executive: Marine and Industrial Property at the V&A Waterfront. "The engineering you can see is only part of the story. The anchoring systems, the submerged structures, the utility integration – this is infrastructure built to serve international maritime traffic for decades."
Superyacht visits to the V&A Waterfront have grown steadily since 2009, with 35 vessels recorded in the 2024/25 season, many staying for extended periods. Each visit generates demand across local fuel suppliers, provisioning companies, marine engineers, logistics providers, hospitality operators and marine contractors.
"Our Superyacht Marina presents an opportunity for local suppliers, marine services businesses, manufacturers, and for Cape Town to strengthen its position on the global maritime map. We look forward to welcoming the first superyachts later this year," Wood concludes.
