Gulf Craft CEO Erwin Bamps delivered a keynote address at the African Boating Conference in Cape Town, sharing lessons from Dubai’s development as an international yachting destination and highlighting opportunities for Africa’s emerging superyacht market.
Speaking under the theme From Emerging Market to Global Player – Competing Successfully on the Global Stage, Bamps emphasised that a successful marine industry requires more than world-class vessels. Investment in marinas, maintenance and refit facilities, marine services and connected cruising destinations is essential to attracting international yachts and encouraging longer stays.
Dubai’s development offers a relevant example, while Gulf Craft’s established presence in the Maldives demonstrates how vessel manufacturing, marine services and tourism infrastructure can support broader industry growth.
The opportunities for Africa lie in connecting destinations across Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean, including Mauritius, Seychelles and the Maldives, through improved infrastructure and supporting services.
Research presented at the conference by BOATPro showed that Southern Africa welcomed 36 visiting superyachts over 24 metres in 2025, up from 14 in 2019. The average visiting yacht measured 60 metres, highlighting the region’s potential to attract further international traffic and generate wider economic benefits.
Bamps’s keynote reinforced the importance of long-term investment and regional connectivity in turning Africa’s considerable cruising potential into a more established international yachting market.
