Cape Town’s boat-building industry hopeful for comeback

There has been an increase in demand in international markets over the years for people with yacht and boat-building skills, including providing support in the boat-building processes Picture: David Ritchie/African News Agency (ANA)

There has been an increase in demand in international markets over the years for people with yacht and boat-building skills, including providing support in the boat-building processes Picture: David Ritchie/African News Agency (ANA)

Published May 27, 2020

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Cape Town - Players in Cape Town’s boat-building industry hope that as soon as it is re-opened, employees can return to work to ensure the city remains one of the leading manufacturing centres in the world.

A survey was conducted by the SA Boat Building Export Council (Sabbex) early in April to

analyse the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the boat-building industry and its staff.

It was reported that only half of the boat companies in the country could afford to pay their staff their full salaries during the lockdown. There was also increasing feedback on the plea for people to get back to work.

Sabbex spokesperson and founding director of Blue Cape Vanessa Davidson said: “The lockdown prevented many from working and there were remuneration challenges associated with this. Many people were also stopped from learning the necessary skills at colleges offering boat and yacht learnerships and work placements.”

Cape Town becoming a cost-effective supplier to international markets over the years has increased the demand for people with yacht- and boat-building skills, including providing support in the boat-building processes. The processes include laminating, marine joinery, boat design, construction and metalwork.

However, Davidson said there was likely to be an upturn in production after the lockdown because many employees might start to look at work productivity in a different light.

Executive mayor Dan Plato said: “The industry employs thousands of people and I am encouraged that with the planned production, we’ll be able to preserve jobs in this sector. We hope through effective health and safety precautions aimed at limiting the spread of Covid-19 we will see restrictions easing in the near future to get more people back to work.”

In level three, all manufacturing sectors are expected to return to normal. However, they still await further legal confirmations from the government. Mayco member for economic opportunities and asset management James Vos said one of the biggest challenges employees spoke about after engaging with them was that they were filled with uncertainty about whether they would be able to return to work and earn an income again.

Robertson and Caine, a production boat-building company that employs 1800 people, has lobbied the government for permission to continue to work in this sector while applying the necessary health guidelines.

Davidson said an estimated R2.7 billion of confirmed recreational and commercial boat-building export orders needed to be completed. “This appeal to continue to work was then considered and the ship and boat-building sector was able to phase in opening at 50% at the beginning of May, following stringent health and safety measures.”

Vos said: “While the lockdown measures had an impact on the number of orders the company could fulfil, work and training has continued under difficult circumstances. The lobbying by the City should allow for the safe reopening of our economy and we will ensure that this industry remains a top international producer of catamarans.”

@Sukainaish

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Cape Argus

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