South Africa is better known abroad for the boats it exports than for the ones it keeps at home. Cape Town has grown into one of the world's busiest catamaran building centres, while the rest of the coast, from the Western Cape harbours to the KwaZulu-Natal coast and the inland dams, keeps a steady demand for ski-boats, RIBs and family runabouts.
This page is a free reference guide to the South African boat brands and models tracked on Boats.za.net, with the specifications for each and a plain-language summary of the local boating rules.
Built in Cape Town, Sold Around the World
The South African boatbuilding industry is built around export. According to the South African Boat Builders Export Council (SABBEX), the country is the second largest builder of leisure sailing catamarans in the world, behind France, and the leading builder of large power catamarans. SABBEX has also reported that recreational boats make up about 94% of South Africa's boat exports.
Robertson and Caine, founded in Cape Town in 1991, builds the Leopard catamaran range and supplies charter fleets around the world. Southern Wind has built high-performance carbon sailing yachts in Cape Town since 1991. Other South African yards tracked here include Two Oceans, Royal Cape Catamarans, Balance Catamarans and Gemini Marine.
Catamarans and Performance Yachts
Most of the South African brands on this site are multihulls and sailing yachts, so the spec sheets lean towards the numbers that matter to cruising sailors: length overall, beam, draft, displacement and accommodation. When you compare two catamarans, check whether the stated displacement is light or loaded, because the gap between the two can be large on a cruising boat.
Boats for Local Waters
Alongside the export yards, South African buyers also use smaller craft that suit local conditions: ski-boats and RIBs that launch through the surf from beach slipways, and runabouts for dams, lagoons and estuaries. Small boats in this class are often covered by lighter rules, explained below.
Boating Rules in South Africa
Boating in South Africa is regulated by the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) under the Merchant Shipping (National Small Vessel Safety) Regulations, 2007, as amended. What follows is a summary only, so check the current rules with SAMSA before you buy or launch a boat.
Skipper qualifications. The skipper of a power-driven pleasure vessel above 15 hp, or of a sailing vessel longer than 9 metres, needs a Small Vessel Certificate of Competence, commonly called a skipper's ticket. SAMSA sets the national standard for the training and examination. For sailing boats over 9 metres, SA Sailing is the body authorised to issue the certificate. Applicants need proof of identity and a medical certificate, and training providers set the minimum age for a recreational ticket at 16.
Radio. If you fit a marine VHF radio, the operator needs a valid radio operator's certificate and the radio equipment needs to be licensed with ICASA.
Numbers and safety inspections. Pleasure boats are listed or registered through SAMSA and its authorised agencies. A listed powerboat displays a ZA number and a listed sailing boat an SA number on the hull, while formal registration through SAMSA gives a boat an official number and a SAMSA safety certificate. Very small pleasure boats covered by Regulation 37 are not inspected or certificated by SAMSA, but their owners must still keep them safe and follow the regulations.
Local rules. Many dams, lagoons and harbours have their own by-laws and launch permits. SAMSA also warns that children and anyone who has been drinking must never be left in charge of a vessel.
About This Page
This page covers the South African brands with specification data on Boats.za.net. Brands and models are added over time, so the list below grows as new spec sheets are checked and published. Industry figures come from SABBEX as reported in 2024, and the rules above were checked against SAMSA and SA Sailing material in November 2026. Rules change, so confirm anything that affects a purchase with SAMSA. If you spot an error or a missing South African brand, let us know.
Specifications on Boats.za.net are compiled from manufacturer and dealer published spec sheets and added to the database as they are checked. Figures are shown as published, so they can differ by model year, engine and options. Please confirm the details with the manufacturer or dealer before you buy.
Found an error or a missing brand? Tell us and we will check it. You can also read more about Boats.za.net.
Guide text last updated 6 November 2026. Spec data last updated 6 November 2026.