🇿🇦 South Africa
South Atlantic · Container Terminal
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None of the 64 vessels our AIS feed observed within 25 nm of Cape Town between 29 Apr 2026 and 5 Aug 2026 broadcast an IMO number on the OFAC, EU, UK or UN sanctions list today. The feed saw only part of the traffic, so this does not mean no listed vessel called here. The feed has delivered no positions since 5 Aug 2026, so these figures will not change until it resumes.
Not listed
Cape Town is not inside any Joint War Committee listed area (circular JWLA-035, 16 September 2026).
Source: Joint War Committee circular JWLA-035, 16 September 2026 (LMA/IUA), JWC Listed Areas for hull war, piracy, terrorism and related perils.
Between 29 Apr 2026 and 5 Aug 2026, ArcNautical's AIS feed observed 64 distinct vessels at Cape Town, with Cargo making up 29% of those with a ship-type code — lower than the South Atlantic regional average of 42%. Cape Town in South Africa connects the major commodity exporters of West Africa and South America with global markets, carrying crude oil, iron ore, soybeans, coal, and containerised goods. The Gulf of Guinea has surpassed the Gulf of Aden as the world's most active piracy zone, accounting for the majority of global incidents and the vast majority of crew kidnappings. Unlike Somali piracy's hijacking-for-ransom model, Gulf of Guinea attacks typically aim at kidnap-for-ransom, cargo theft, and oil theft from tankers. The diversion of container traffic around the Cape of Good Hope due to Red Sea security threats has increased congestion at South Atlantic bunkering ports and along the South African coast.
Routed sea distances from Cape Town to the principal global hubs, computed by ArcNautical's routing engine — around land and through the canals a ship actually uses, not great-circle.
Our AIS feed observed 64 distinct vessels at Cape Town between 29 Apr 2026 and 5 Aug 2026; 63 carry a confirmed AIS ship-type code. The most common categories:
The feed has delivered no positions since 5 Aug 2026, so these figures will not change until it resumes.
Cape Town falls under the Indian Ocean MoU. The Indian Ocean Memorandum of Understanding does not publish a public bulk detention feed. PSC inspection regimes across India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the Maldives, Mauritius, Iran, and the African Indian Ocean states vary in rigour. ArcNautical evaluates vessel-level detention probability using flag performance, age, deficiency history, and ownership opacity signals.
The last 10 vessels our AIS feed recorded arriving between 29 Apr 2026 and 5 Aug 2026:
| Arrived | Vessel | Flag | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-05 | SANTA PRINCESA | 🇿🇦 ZA | Fishing |
| 2026-08-04 | VINSON OF ANTARCTICA | 🇰🇾 KY | Sailing |
| 2026-08-04 | APL LE HAVRE | 🇸🇬 SG | Cargo |
| 2026-08-03 | VALERIA DELATLANTICO | Fishing | |
| 2026-08-02 | GASLOG GEORGETOWN | 🇧🇲 BM | Tanker |
| 2026-07-30 | KAREKARE | 🇲🇹 MT | Tanker |
| 2026-07-19 | PEARL KATE | 🇿🇦 ZA | Tanker |
| 2026-07-19 | SEAWIN RUBY | 🇿🇦 ZA | Fishing |
| 2026-07-07 | SARAH BAARTMAN | 🇿🇦 ZA | Law Enforcement |
| 2026-07-07 | LUDWANI | 🇿🇦 ZA | Fishing |
The feed has delivered no positions since 5 Aug 2026, so these figures will not change until it resumes.
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