To continue the quest for supporting the boating industry in South Africa, boatica Cape Town will once again open its doors to a physical show at one of the most picturesque locations on the African continent, the V&A Waterfront. With the support of ocean and boating industry leaders SABBEX and Blue Cape, the 20th edition of the show has also secured the City of Cape Town as its official sponsor.
“The City of Cape Town is delighted to host boatica Cape Town, Africa’s premier boating and luxury lifestyle event, this October,” says Alderman James Vos, the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Opportunities and Asset Management. Previously known as the Cape Town International Boat Show, the Mother City has been home to this flagship industry event for the last 20 years. In the face of innumerable challenges this past year, the city’s boat building industry has weathered the storm and proved its resilience.
“During an exhibitors’ webinar that we hosted, we launched a quick poll with potential exhibitors, asking each participant to let us know whether they would be interested in joining the show this year. Almost 70% of the audience indicated they would likely be joining, giving us a positive start to the event,” says Kathryn Frew, Show Director of boatica.
In the face of the pandemic, the boatica team has designed a plan to ensure that the event goes ahead while making sure that all exhibiting companies get the maximum amount of exposure whilst still adhering to all COVID protocols. One of these plans involves the event layout - the traditional marque will now be replaced with snowpeaks on the north wharf of the venue. This ensures the continuous flow of fresh air and ample space for visitors and exhibitors alike.
The City of Cape Town acknowledges the boating sector, citing Cape Town as one of the continent’s biggest and most important ocean economy hubs, known for its world-class craftsmanship, innovation and custom-made designs. “We have a steady stream of young qualified artisans entering the marine manufacturing industry annually. The sector directly employs over 5 000 artisans, carpenters, engineers and nautical architects. Cape Town is also the largest marine manufacturing centre in South Africa, generating over R2,3 billion in export revenue in 2018. As a City, we look forward to hosting boatica Cape Town, to showcase our best-in-class products and our remarkable talent,” says Alderman James Vos.
All COVID precautions will be followed under government regulations. The 3-day event will provide visitors and exhibitors with the ultimate boatica experience, further boosting the already successful boating industry in South Africa.
For media related queries, please contact:
Amu Mathebula | Marketing Manager
amukelani.mathebula@za.messefrankfurt.com
For any show bookings, please contact:
Kathryn Frew | Show Director