Hands, not headlines, are building this success story. Tunisian boatbuilders in the port city of Bizerte are winning orders from wealthy buyers abroad, and exports have reached roughly €500 million ($558 million) last year, according to the trade association.
From Small Boats to Big Orders
Tarek Rassas runs a yard his father founded three decades ago to build small pleasure boats. Today it makes about 10 yachts a year, mostly catamarans and smaller vessels, selling for up to €400,000 each. A luxury catamaran can take two months or more to finish.
The wider sector has grown to about 75 companies, up from around 20 a decade ago, says Montassar Dhiaf of Tunisia’s Marine Industries Association.
Skills, Costs and Location
Three things drive the boom: a skilled workforce, competitive costs and closeness to Europe. Dhiaf credits foreign expertise, especially from Italian firms, for transferring technology. Tunisian companies have moved from supplying parts to handling the whole job, from design and manufacturing to outfitting and after-sales service. French makers including Beneteau also operate in the country.
Tunisia’s reach goes further. Yards in Menzel Jemil, near Bizerte, supplied components for Cristiano Ronaldo’s superyacht.
A Lesson for Africa
The contrast is stark. Few Tunisians can afford these boats, since average wages are a few hundred dollars a month. But the industry shows what skills and partnerships can do. The sector aims to double exports by 2030, which could bring in foreign currency and create jobs.
Other African countries often export raw materials and import finished goods. Tunisia shows a different path, where local workers build a finished product that customers abroad want to buy. If the 2030 target holds, Bizerte may become a name buyers around the world know.
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