WEBVTT - African Boating Conference - October 21-22 2025

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<v Speaker 1>I think if the weather wasn't so miserable today, lots

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<v Speaker 1>of Cape Tonians would be getting out into the ocean

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<v Speaker 1>and possibly, if they are lucky enough, onto a boat.

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<v Speaker 1>It is a big recreational activity here in Cape Town,

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<v Speaker 1>much loved by many of our city dwellers. And if

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<v Speaker 1>that's something that you are particularly interested in, and you'll

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<v Speaker 1>be curious to know that there is a new event

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<v Speaker 1>debuting in Cape Town later this year called the African

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<v Speaker 1>Boating Conference. It's a one of a kind event dedicated

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<v Speaker 1>to unlocking the vast potential of the boating industry across

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<v Speaker 1>Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands. As the only recreational

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<v Speaker 1>boating business to business conference on the continent, they are

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<v Speaker 1>set to make a world of difference in an underserved

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<v Speaker 1>market brimming with opportunity. Joining me by a zoom to

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<v Speaker 1>tell us more about the event is the founder and organizer,

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<v Speaker 1>Vita Pretorius Vida. Good morning, thanks so much for joining us.

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<v Speaker 2>Good morning, Amy, thank you so much for having me.

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<v Speaker 2>Good morning, Capital listeners.

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<v Speaker 1>How did you come up with the idea to start

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<v Speaker 1>this African Boating Conference?

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<v Speaker 2>I have to tell you that I was actually inspired

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<v Speaker 2>by what's being done elsewhere in South Africa. The boating

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<v Speaker 2>industry and the boat building sector is very developed, but

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<v Speaker 2>there's still some market leaders that we can learn from.

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<v Speaker 2>And I've been looking at the conferences that are being

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<v Speaker 2>hosted in Australia and in Singapore and by the British

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<v Speaker 2>Marine Federation, and I was so inspired by the content

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<v Speaker 2>that they have, the speakers that they have, and how

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<v Speaker 2>well received those events are in the industry. It's very

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<v Speaker 2>difficult to find events that are very that are peer

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<v Speaker 2>to peer in the boating sector in South Africa. We've

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<v Speaker 2>always focused, I think more on the boat shows and

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<v Speaker 2>the consumer side, but there's so much that we can

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<v Speaker 2>learn from each other and within the industry that that's

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<v Speaker 2>kind of the big thinking behind the event.

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<v Speaker 1>So then just to clear five for listeners, Vida, this

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<v Speaker 1>event is completely separate from the boat show.

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<v Speaker 2>Yes, this event will be on the twenty first and

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<v Speaker 2>the twenty second of October, which is a Tuesday and

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<v Speaker 2>a Wednesday, and that is preceding the boat show, which

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<v Speaker 2>is going to be on the weekend from the Friday

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<v Speaker 2>to the Sunday. This is a B to B event,

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<v Speaker 2>so it will be targeting boat builders, retailers, anybody that's

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<v Speaker 2>involved in the boating ecosystem, from marina development all the

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<v Speaker 2>way through to superyachts, but from a business perspective, and

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<v Speaker 2>then the weekend will give them opportunity for consumers and

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<v Speaker 2>for the boating public to come to the waterfront and

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<v Speaker 2>kind of see what the lifestyle of boating is about

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<v Speaker 2>versus the business side, which will be done earlier in

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<v Speaker 2>the week and Vida.

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<v Speaker 1>One of the things about this conference that really caught

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<v Speaker 1>my attention when you know we're chatting earlier in the

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<v Speaker 1>week is that one of the outcomes of the conference

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<v Speaker 1>will be the establishment of a regional super yacht route.

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<v Speaker 2>What is that about the last few years, we've seen

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<v Speaker 2>an definite increase in superyot's visiting the Cape due to

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<v Speaker 2>a number of reasons. One of them is the uncertainty

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<v Speaker 2>and the safety issues around the Red Sea and especially

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<v Speaker 2>the Gulf of Aden, but also underlying market issue is

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<v Speaker 2>that there's been a real increase in superyot owners wanting

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<v Speaker 2>to travel further, wanting to explore new territories and discover

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<v Speaker 2>new places, and that's really driven a lot of support

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<v Speaker 2>for destinations further afield. Also the areas of all the

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<v Speaker 2>primary markets of the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, the US East Coast,

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<v Speaker 2>they're quite saturated and I think the newer, younger you

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<v Speaker 2>owner is looking for something different. So we've seen a

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<v Speaker 2>lot of increase in your traffic through the Pacific, Australia,

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<v Speaker 2>New Zealand, that region, Asia and the is an enormous

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<v Speaker 2>opportunity for Africa to also place itself as part of

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<v Speaker 2>a kind of a global route. But people don't fly

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<v Speaker 2>in here with the superocht. It needs to be an organized,

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<v Speaker 2>well communicated route with trusted service providers, so that if

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<v Speaker 2>you're a superot owner and you're now in Thailand at

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<v Speaker 2>the moment you want to travel round Cape Town, where

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<v Speaker 2>will you go on route? And I think that's one

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<v Speaker 2>of the key focus areas for this conference is to

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<v Speaker 2>bring the regional players together from Seychals, Mauritius, Tanzania, all

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<v Speaker 2>the different ports around South Africa around to Namibia and

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<v Speaker 2>to really come together and decide, you know, where in

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<v Speaker 2>our respective countries and regions are the best offerings for superiots,

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<v Speaker 2>pull together a list of credible and professional service providers

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<v Speaker 2>and then bring together a proper route that's very well

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<v Speaker 2>communicated to the international suit beyond industry through yacht captains,

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<v Speaker 2>managing management companies, through communication with owners. I think it's

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<v Speaker 2>an enormous opportunity, but it does require regional cooperation, and

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<v Speaker 2>it requires a high level of service and polished presentation.

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<v Speaker 1>You know, when you talk about superots, I'm assuming you're

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<v Speaker 1>not talking about a recreational catamer and you're talking about

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<v Speaker 1>these massive, massive things that the Oligochs own, right, Yes.

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<v Speaker 2>Yes, I'm talking about me about your twenty four meters

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<v Speaker 2>and up. We're likely in our area to find sailing

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<v Speaker 2>your sailing superots twenty four meters and up. But I

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<v Speaker 2>think in terms of power power power yachts it will

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<v Speaker 2>be or motor boats it will be forty meters and up,

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<v Speaker 2>just because of the fuel capacity that they need in

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<v Speaker 2>the range to be able to travel so far afield.

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<v Speaker 2>When we talk about supiots, I think people are very

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<v Speaker 2>stuck on the owner and how wealthy they are and

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<v Speaker 2>how wealthy their family is, and why are we spending

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<v Speaker 2>so much time and effort on making, you know, investing

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<v Speaker 2>in infrastructure and training and everything for these few, for

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<v Speaker 2>this handful of wealthy elite people. What people don't understand

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<v Speaker 2>is the economic ripple effect that they have super yochts,

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<v Speaker 2>spend a lot of money and very similar to a

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<v Speaker 2>Safari lodge. You know, it might only accommodate eight to

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<v Speaker 2>twelve guests at a time some of these luxury places,

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<v Speaker 2>but they keep twenty to thirty households going for the year.

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<v Speaker 2>And I think that's where the economic opportunity is not

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<v Speaker 2>only for South Africa but also for the region. When

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<v Speaker 2>a yacht pulls into your harbor and one of the

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<v Speaker 2>big super beyots, you know they are spending a big

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<v Speaker 2>amount of money that goes through not only to the

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<v Speaker 2>very large companies, but also is MMES. I think in

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<v Speaker 2>the research that's done in Italy and in Australia, more

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<v Speaker 2>than fifty percent of the company that are involved in

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<v Speaker 2>the superyot sector or SMMES and Italy, I think it's

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<v Speaker 2>like seventy five percent of companies in that value chain.

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<v Speaker 2>So it's not about a big firm, it's not about

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<v Speaker 2>the owner. It's actually about the big picture, the bigger

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<v Speaker 2>ecosystem that supports that industry.

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<v Speaker 1>VIDA will the conference also be looking at opportunities for

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<v Speaker 1>employment and growth and learning for young people in this industry.

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<v Speaker 2>It will, yes, definitely, but not only on the superocht sector.

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<v Speaker 2>So the Boating Conference is looking at boating from the

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<v Speaker 2>whole ecosystem of boating, from marina development and investment in

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<v Speaker 2>mariners to marine tourism and we're talking about day charters

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<v Speaker 2>or fishing charters, any kind of boating, tourism activity, skills

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<v Speaker 2>development and training. It will be looking at boat building

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<v Speaker 2>and new technologies and boat building and also getting into boating,

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<v Speaker 2>how can a family and young people access boating and

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<v Speaker 2>get more people involved. And then at the superyard sector,

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<v Speaker 2>So we're looking at skills development and how to get

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<v Speaker 2>young people interested in the industry across all of these

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<v Speaker 2>different segments, not only in the superyarch segment. South Africa

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<v Speaker 2>probably has between thirty and forty percent of the global

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<v Speaker 2>superyarch crew of South Africans, so there's already a very

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<v Speaker 2>strong presence. But working on a superot is not for everybody.

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<v Speaker 2>It's confined spaces, there are long hours. You need a

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<v Speaker 2>certain type of person who's going to enjoy it and

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<v Speaker 2>who's going to add value to that team. But superyots

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<v Speaker 2>are not the only areas where people can work. There's

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<v Speaker 2>fantastic opportunities everything from being involved in a marina to

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<v Speaker 2>being a captain and taking out people on fishing charts,

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<v Speaker 2>to boat building, engineering design. You know, it's a huge,

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<v Speaker 2>huge industry, so there's a lot of opportunities and it's

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<v Speaker 2>definitely one of our focus areas will be attracting talent

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<v Speaker 2>and the right talent to the industry.

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<v Speaker 1>I know you said it's a B to B conference,

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<v Speaker 1>but if people listening are interested Vedan would like to

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<v Speaker 1>either connect with you or sign up to attend the conference,

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<v Speaker 1>what's the best way for them to do so, Oh.

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<v Speaker 2>That's fantastic. They can go to the website, which is

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<v Speaker 2>Africanboatingconference dot com. They can also pop me an email

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<v Speaker 2>at connect at Africanvotingconference dot com. And also bear in

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<v Speaker 2>mind that on that weekend is the boat show, so

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<v Speaker 2>if they're also interested in information around the boat show,

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<v Speaker 2>they can also pop me an email and I can

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<v Speaker 2>direct them, or they can also look they can contact

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<v Speaker 2>Blue Cape to find out more about the boat show

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<v Speaker 2>as well. This is going to be the first year

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<v Speaker 2>that the industry is hosting the boat show, so I

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<v Speaker 2>think it's going to be absolutely fantastic and it's going

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<v Speaker 2>to be at the waterfront, so this is going to

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<v Speaker 2>be something very different to what we've seen in previous years,

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<v Speaker 2>and I think the industry is very excited to be

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<v Speaker 2>able to put a fresh spin on the event.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, I'm so excited and inspired by all the things

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<v Speaker 1>you've told us this morning, and I would actually suggest,

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<v Speaker 1>like to suggest that we do a follow up interview

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<v Speaker 1>after you've held the conference and just learn more about

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<v Speaker 1>some of the outcomes feeda.

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<v Speaker 2>Yes, that'll be fantastic. I'd love that the Boating Conference.

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<v Speaker 2>The theme is boating as a catalyst for economic growth.

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<v Speaker 2>It's not only about the lifestyle that we all love

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<v Speaker 2>and enjoy and want experience, but it's also about what

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<v Speaker 2>it can mean in terms of economic transformation for small businesses,

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<v Speaker 2>for young people looking for a new career and exciting career,

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<v Speaker 2>for developing technology. There's a lot of innovation and technology

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<v Speaker 2>in the boat building space. So yes, I'd love to

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<v Speaker 2>have a conversation with you afterwards. And I just have

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<v Speaker 2>to just have to say I've received fantastic support from

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<v Speaker 2>the boating industry in South Africa and I have the

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<v Speaker 2>best sponsors that have already come on board. Escape Almond Sales,

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<v Speaker 2>Motor and Sale Yachts, VETAS FFS and I'm really really

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<v Speaker 2>thankful for the great support of received and the great

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<v Speaker 2>registrations that have been piling in the last few weeks.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm not sure if it's because the Early Bird special

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<v Speaker 2>its ending on the thirtieth, but we've definitely seen a

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<v Speaker 2>big influx of registrations, which.

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<v Speaker 1>Is great, fantastic. Well, I'm very grateful that you got

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<v Speaker 1>up so early on a Sunday morning to talk to

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<v Speaker 1>us Veda and thank you very much for your time.

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<v Speaker 1>All the best with the inaugural African Boat Conference taking

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<v Speaker 1>place on the twenty first and twenty second of October.

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<v Speaker 2>Thank you so much for having me Amy, and thank

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<v Speaker 2>you CAP Talk listeners for listening to my happy ramblings

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<v Speaker 2>on a Sunday morning.

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<v Speaker 1>Vieta Pretorius the founder and organizer of the African Boating

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<v Speaker 1>Conference and you can find out more about that or

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<v Speaker 1>connect with Rita online.